WASHINGTON -- Eight-time Grammy award winner Usher Raymond made a surprise appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday, urging lawmakers to make Medicare's Diabetes Prevention Program more accessible to Americans. "Today, just talking about type 1 diabetes and early screening for type 1 diabetes," Usher, the Super Bowl LVIII performer, told ABC News after his meetings. Usher's son, Cinco, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2014.
Before leaving, Usher acknowledged the issue was personal to him. "Yeah, I've been able to share my story today. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to hear more about it," he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Type 1 diabetes was once called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes, and it often develops in children, teens, and young adults, but it can happen at any age. The CDC said the disease is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction. "This reaction destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, called beta cells," the agency wrote on its website.
"This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear." Usher was first spotted riding the Senate Subway with Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock - then the Capitol press corps went on the hunt for the pop icon.
He made his way over to the House side, meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other lawmakers as a mix of reporters and staffers congregated outside of the meeting. They patiently waited for a selfie as minutes turned to hours. .
