ZEPHANIAH Hartley will be the first Yarrabilba State School student to visit Parliament House in Canberra this week.
The six-year-old prep student will join more than 100 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) advocates across the country to lobby politicians for funding to support young people afflicted with diabetes.
Mr Hartley is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at 12pm on Thursday, August 24.
He has already met Wright MP Scott Buchholz, Forde MP Bert van Manen and Moreton MP Graham Perrett.
Zephaniah’s mother, Melinda Hartley, said advocates were pushing for the federal government to continue to fund $50 million over the next five years to support the JDRF clinical research network.
“It will be great to see Zeph reminding our federal leaders of the importance of research to find a cure and lobby the government in continuing the federal funding which expires next year,” she said.
Mr Hartley was diagnosed with type one diabetes at a young age and was selected as a JDRF advocate in June as part of the Kids in the House initiative.
Yarrabilba State School teachers dressed in blue on Friday, August 17 to raise money for Zephaniah’s campaign.
Ms Hartley said she was delighted to see the school community get behind a worthy cause.
“As a Mother of a child with a life threatening medical condition, it is amazing to see the genuine care and support Zeph receives from his school and teachers,” she said.
