State Honoree

Anna Katherine Tollett, 16, of Ruston, La., a junior at Cedar Creek School, has worked tirelessly over the past eight years on behalf of kids who, like her, suffer from Type 1 diabetes, raising funds to find a cure, enhancing public awareness of the disease, campaigning for legal rights and protections for students with diabetes, and providing support to newly diagnosed children and their families. “When I was first diagnosed, the daily demands of managing this relentless disease combined with the often-misinformed public perception of diabetes left me feeling overwhelmed and alienated,” said Anna Katherine. But “because of the support and guidance of family, friends and community, I became determined to reach out to those living with diabetes, and challenge the public perception of the disease.”

The day after she left the hospital, Anna Katherine participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual fundraising walk, and in subsequent years led a team of her own. With help from her father, she shot a 30-second public service announcement about diabetes, which won the top prize in a national contest and has been seen by more than 16,000 viewers. In 2012, Anna Katherine helped successfully lobby her state legislature to make it easier for kids to manage their diabetes at school, and also took part in a lobbying effort in Washington, D.C.. in 2011 and 2012 with the American Diabetes Association that secured millions of dollars for diabetes research. She also helped start a foundation that aids kids and their families immediately following a new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.