I have some news: I am now a member of the board for Insulin for Life. It is hard to express my feelings on this because they are many. It is obviously a huge honour to be part of their mission. It is also very daunting. My action or inaction can literally be the difference between people living or dying.
If you are unaware of Insulin for Life they are an Australian-based charity which obtains in-date insulin (either donated or purchased) and related equipment and redistributes it to clinics in disadvantaged countries to be given free to poor people of all ages with diabetes. They have developed collection and distribution centres in eight advantaged countries and provide supplies regularly to clinics in over 30 countries, as well as in response to disasters. They also assist locally led overseas clinics and communities with diabetes screening, education days, and camps for children with diabetes.
Valentine’s Day is a big part of the year for Insulin for Life because they run the Spare a Rose campaign. This is their major fundraising campaign for the year and was borne out of an idea in the US diabetes community: rather than giving a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day, give one rose and redirect the saved money to Insulin for Life. One rose (about $5) is equivalent to one month of life for someone with type 1 diabetes. If you scrounge some paper from the work office supply cupboard, you could make a paper rose instead and donate the equivalent of all 12 roses and give someone life for a year.
Being a dedoc alumni, I have met people from around the world who are alive because of organisations like Insulin for Life. In some cases, the people I have met have no contemporaries back home with type 1 diabetes because they died without a regular supply of insulin. I have seen the good work Insulin for Life do and believe in their mission so much a dollar of every sale I make through my Etsy store goes directly to them.
If you are interested in helping out, go to the Spare a Rose website to find out more and click the button there to donate. Even if you don’t want to reduce the size of your gift to your loved one or you do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, please consider giving a donation or help promote the campaign on your social channels. It will really help people with type 1 diabetes around the world. Even the smallest assistance could literally save a live.
The campaign is open for all of February. Will you help?
The Practical Diabetic 