One in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. With this diagnosis brings an increased risk of heart disease, nerve damage, blindness, amputations and death.

Nearly 24 million people have this disease which costs our country $174 billion dollars per year. This will lead to one of the biggest economic crisis of our time if steps are not taken to stop this epidemic.

As you begin your administration, I am asking you to help:

• reduce the burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases in America;
• provide accessible, adequate and affordable health care coverage for all;
• improve the quality of health care for people with diabetes; and
• ensure all individuals are treated equally and fairly by the health system.

This is the only way to change the future of diabetes in our country.