ELLSWORTH, Maine — Lydia Bryant was diagnosed with type one diabetes less than a year ago.
She's already learned as much as she can about the disease and has become a voice for people just like her.
Now, 9-year-old Lydia is hoping to use that voice in Washington, D.C. as part of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Children's Congress from July 8-10.
500 Maine children applied to be part of the Children's Congress, and two were chosen -- Lydia and 9-year-old Ruby Anderson of Yarmouth.
Lydia says she thinks she was chosen because she wrote a letter to Sen. Susan Collins.
"I wrote about my -- about trying to get out of the car when my mom told me I might have diabetes," she said, remembering when she found out her diagnosis.
Now, Lydia is a pro at living with diabetes.
She tracks her insulin levels through an app on her phone and knows exactly what to do if her insulin gets too high or too low.
Now that she's mastered how to take care of herself, she wants to make a difference for people just like her.
"I feel like it's gonna be pretty cool to represent Maine," she said.
"We're excited for Lydia to be a voice for other kids," her mom, Laura Bryant, added.
Lydia has a lot of things she wants to talk to members of Congress about.
"Another thing that's important to me is pump choice because kids don't always get to choose what pump they get. Usually insurance will choose and not let them have the pump they want," she said.
Lydia is one of 160 kids heading to Washington, D.C. on Monday. This will be her first time on a plane and first time going anywhere other than Maine and New Hampshire.