BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

From rhetoric to reality

By Layla Campbell, age 17 | November 27, 2023

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A VITAL ISSUE Layla Campbell, a senior at The Awty International School, traveled to Washington, D.C. this summer to advocate for the importance of affordable insulin. As a Type 1 Diabetic, she has firsthand knowledge of how crucial insulin access is for those who suffer from diabetes.

The semifinal chamber at the National Speech and Debate Tournament bore witness to where I truly felt the power of my words. This was my second time at Nationals, and I was debating Insulin Affordability, sharing how I was one of the lucky Type 1 Diabetics, while my best friend was not. She is one of many who are forced to let their blood sugars rise to life-threatening levels in order to access free insulin from the emergency room. I was tearful as I felt the emotion in the room.

On that day I proudly claimed the title of two-time NSDA semifinalist and became fifth in Texas and 23rd in the Nation for Congressional Debate, but what I took from that experience was far greater than accolades. It was the truth about how dire insulin affordability is in the United States. Unbeknownst to me, that realization would result in the summer of a lifetime.

On July 9th, 2023, I found myself in Washington, D.C. as a Texas delegate selected by The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to advocate for insulin affordability. After months of preparation, I was sitting in The Dirksen Senate Building at a Senate hearing with Senators Susan Collins and Katie Britt proclaiming the importance of the Insulin Affordability Act. Just a few hours later, I shared my position with Texas Representatives Ted Cruz and Wesley Hunt. I explained how T1D is a silent killer of people of all ages, and how insulin and research for a cure are necessary for children like me to live healthy and happy lives – a conversation that changed my life forever. Diabetes is more than a chronic illness; it’s a relentless challenge that impacts one’s entire family.

Diagnosed on my 11th birthday, hearing that there was no cure for T1D was a heavy weight to bear. But even as a young child, I was unwilling to accept that fate. I became resolute that a cure existed somewhere, waiting to be discovered. Now I can tell little Layla that diabetes is not forever, because big Layla is working every day to rewrite her future.

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