WTOP Reports: Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia

WTOP featured SB122 | HB1301 by interviewing Ruston, a 6-year-old Type 1 Diabetes advocate who is raising awareness about legislation seeking to modernize 30-year-old code governing diabetes care in schools.

…The legislation would also require schools have procedures for administering insulin and glucagon. Families who have students with diabetes would send schools medical orders from their doctors that outline the child’s needs. “A lot of times, the schools will either deny or modify these accommodations, even though they’re medically necessary,” Kelly said. The statewide regulations haven’t been updated since 1999, Kelly said. “While we’ve had all of these technology advances, like the insulin pump and the CGM, Virginia still hasn’t advanced their laws to align with standard methods of care that we’re using today,” Kelly said. Ruston doesn’t receive insulin shots anymore. But Virginia law is behind on that front, according to Kelly and other advocates. “Right now, the policy in Virginia, if his pump were to fall off while at school, they would, instead of reinsert the pump, they would give him a shot,” Kelly said. In that scenario, Kelly said the school employee would have to calculate how much insulin to dose. “I wouldn’t even know what to dose him, because with the pump, it’s automated nowadays,” she said. “It would require an immediate call to his doctor for guidance.” She worries that it could lead to a miscalculation and health complications.

Jessica Kronzer | jkronzer@wtop.com

March 3, 2026, 8:45 AM