Two Minnesota women will be guests of two different democratic presidential hopefuls during the debate in Detroit on Tuesday, but both are advocating for the same cause: affordable insulin for all Americans.
Nicole Smith-Holt and Quinn Nystrom have made international headlines in recent months, after taking part in a "Caravan to Canada" to raise awareness of the fact that anyone can buy insulin without a prescription in Canada, while paying roughly one-tenth the US retail price.
Smith-Holt, will attend the debate as a guest of Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Smith-Holt's son, Alec, a Type I diabetic, died after trying to ration insulin.
"Alec would still be here if he could afford his insulin," Smith-Holt said. "He can't afford it because Pharma has decided that profits are more important than people's lives."
Though Smith-Holt was previously a guest of Klobuchar's at a debate, Type I diabetic Quinn Nystrom will be a first time guest of Senator Bernie Sanders.
She met Sanders on Sunday, during her latest "Caravan to Canada". It was Nystrom's third such trip in three months, and this time it attract major national, and international media attention.
"Regardless of what you think about his politics, and also, this is not me endorsing Senator Sanders," Nystrom said. "When Senator Sanders says, 'I'm going to Canada.' It's much different than just Quinn Nystrom from Baxter raising her hand and saying she's going to Canada."<00:13:28;26>
Both women say they their fight for affordable insulin and the #insulin4all campaign is non-partisan, and they hope all lawmakers are willing to listen.
"It's definitely not a political issue," Smith-Holt said. "It's a human rights issue."
"I'm happy to go on this trip with a democrat, independent or republican," Nystrom said. "Or the President."