It’s hard to truly comprehend the hurdles a disease can present without a first-hand account.

A few weeks from now, Angela Bittinger and her son, Luke, will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to speak at the Capitol as part of the American Diabetes Association’s Call to Congress, March 3 and 4.

The American Diabetes Association is covering the cost for the trip to advocate for support at the federal level. Luke was selected for the honor through an application process.

“It’s really exciting. A lot of people apply, but not a lot of people get chosen. I’m really excited,” Angela Bittinger said.

Luke Bittinger, a student at Forestville Middle/High School, was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Above are before and after photos taken bookending Luke’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes. He is pictured at right while drawing up insulin.

Luke and Angela will get to tour the Capitol and meet with members of congress throughout an entire day full of activities on March 4, following advocacy training and a welcome dinner on March 3.

“It gives us a chance to tell his story about being diagnosed,” Angela Bittinger said. “As a parent, I wish I had known the signs of Type 1 Diabetes. He would’ve been diagnosed a lot sooner if I would have known the signs of it.”

Luke Bittinger is a 13-year-old student in eighth grade at Forestville Middle/High School. About a year ago, Angela started to notice that Luke was losing weight and drinking more frequently.

One day, when she gave Luke a hug, he asked what the bumps on his back were. Angela felt closely and could feel his spine from all the weight he had rapidly lost. Angela then scheduled a doctor’s appointment for Luke with a pediatrician.

At their appointment, Liz Gehrke, a nurse practitioner, tested Luke’s blood sugar and recognized that he was diabetic. Angela received the news over the phone at work, as she had arranged for Luke’s appointment.

“They called me at work and said, ‘You need to take your son to a children’s hospital immediately.’ Then, they said he’s a diabetic,” Angela Bittinger said. While shocked, she immediately took their recommendation and admitted Luke to a hospital.

Fortunately, Luke was hospitalized just prior to reaching a state of diabetic ketoacidosis, as he arrived at the hospital with a blood sugar level of over 500.

For six months, Luke managed the disease with injections by monitoring the insulin dosages with every meal. Now, he wears an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor, which is enabled for digital monitoring with an app to give alerts to Angela’s phone and at their home. His levels are also tracked and monitored by doctors at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester through the app.

“The technology has come a long way, so I’m very thankful for that,” Angela Bittinger said.

If Luke’s blood sugar ever dips too low, he has to consume sugar immediately, which has led to several late nights where he has been woken up to consume snacks or juice boxes. Whenever leaving the house, Angela brings sugar with her, usually in the form of juice boxes or Smarties candies. Luke carries sources of sugar with him throughout the day, as well.

“It’s been a rough disease to try to live with. Every day is a struggle. It never goes away,” Angela Bittinger said. “… It’s a very hard disease for a child to have.”

Angela spoke to her son’s dedication to managing the disease. She credited him for having a “very mathematical brain” and mentioned his love for science and health.

Despite all the hurdles presented by the disease, Luke manages to be an honor roll student with good attendance in school. Luke hopes someday to become a veterinarian.

“He knows what he wants to do in his life and he’s not willing to let diabetes be a road block for him,” Angela Bittinger said.

As tough of a journey as it was to get there, not many 13 year olds get to visit the U.S. Capitol and address some of the most influential members of the nation. Luke and Angela hope that the trip will not just be a memorable experience, but also an impactful one.

“It’s exciting that something positive can come out of this and we can advocate for other people,” Angela Bittinger said.