Hannah Rowan Serving as Part of Children's Congress to Find a Cure for Juvenile Diabetes

The following information was provided by Meghan Rowan:

Skippack resident and student Hannah Rowan is attending the 2011 Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C. as a delegate to lobby for a cure for juvenile diabetes.

Hannah, now 11, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2003. Living with diabetes can make a person susceptible to other autoimmune diseases. Hannah was also diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and has to take a pill every night to regulate her levels. She has also discovered she has celiac disease and hypercholesterolemia.

Hannah has been working with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) since age 4, and in May 2010 she joined forces with Iron Man competitor Andy Holder, who is also living with Type 1 diabetes.

Holder and Hannah had an immediate connection and began brainstorming ways they could raise awareness in their community. One of their creations was Hannah’s Helping Hands, a communication network for children living with diabetes. 

Diabetes hasn’t slowed her down or stopped her from doing all of the wonderful things she loves to do. Hannah’s various hobbies are swimming, soccer, riding bikes and scooters, dancing ballet and hip hop, singing and acting.

Hannah loves the spotlight.  She has performed the national anthem at various local events, sang as a guest with the popular Chatter band, and acted in local plays The King and I and Les Miserables. She competed in the 2010 National American Miss Pageant and won the pre-teen Miss Pennsylvania Actress competition.  She went on to complete nationally in Los Angeles, CA.

Hannah has watched her friends, family and community give selflessly for her cause, and this has inspired her to give back. Some of her charitable works range from raising money and awareness for a cure to procuring supplies for the SPCA, coordinating Army care packages, working with the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation,  sending money to Haiti and Japan relief efforts through school, Toys for Tots, and asking friends to bring non-perishable food to her birthday party for the local food pantry. 

Hannah collected three car loads of clothes, food, toys and home supplies for people in need. This project, which she called the “love package,” earned her a scholarship via the Kohl’s KIDS Who Care contest. She also earned a partial scholarship from Prudential for her participation in the first-ever Iron Andy Foundation event in Skippack in October 2010.

Hannah has served as a  Wawa sneaker sales representative and a junior ambassador of JDRF, which allowed her to meet the mayor of Philadelphia, the governor of Pennsylvania and other officials.