A MEETING with former President's wife Hillary Clinton was one of the highlights of Tilly Dunne's recent trip to America.

Tilly, aged 12, from Leintwardine, has diabetes and was in Washington as an international delegate at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Children's Congress.

The youngsters were lobbying politicians to increase investment in diabetes research.

Tilly said she learned a lot about how Americans were trying to find a cure and she was moved when children spoke about their experiences of living with type 1 diabetes.

"We all had the chance to meet the American representatives and Senators and tell them our own stories,'' she said.

Tilly was diagnosed with the disease aged two and every day has to check her blood sugar levels and inject herself with insulin.

In America, she found out more about insulin pumps not in use much in this country.

"It is a small device which continuously feeds insulin so that you can eat what you want, when you want without having to have lots of injections.

"Most of the American children were using it and had much better control of their blood sugars," she said.

4 Tilly Dunne, left, with her new American friend Samantha, from Albany, and Senator Hillary Clinton.