Emmalee Clark, 13, of Richmond joined teens from across the United States in late June to press elected officials in Washington, D.C., to support cystic fibrosis drug research and development, and to protect health coverage for people with the disease.

Clark participated in Teen Advocacy Day on June 28 on behalf of her younger brother, Alex, who has cystic fibrosis. Alex could not make the trip to Washington because people with cystic fibrosis cannot be near one another without risking life-threatening germ transmission.

During the event, Emmalee met one-on-one with the offices of Kentucky Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, and Reps. Ben Chandler, Hal Rogers and Geoff Davis.

"I am honored to be part of Teen Advocacy Day and go to Washington, D.C., to fight for my brother and other people with this terrible disease," said Emmalee, the daughter of David and Kim Clark of Richmond.