A big shout out to Melissa Lee, who blogs at SweetlyVoiced, for writing this post about Life for a Child’s Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign. And thanks, too, for sharing it with us.
Heartsick
The first time I learned about the efforts of the International Diabetes Federation’s Life for a Child program, I watched one of their videos where they described what it is like for a child with type 1 diabetes in the developing world.
I cried as I listened to them talk about families being forced to choose between the cost of feeding their 4 non-diabetic children for a month or buying a bottle of insulin for child number 5. Child number 5 does not come out on the winning end.
In many parts of the world, news of a diagnosis like that which my parents received when I was 10 years old also comes with preparation for an inevitable and tragic loss. Most children with type 1 die within the year.
We can change that.
The Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign asks that you buy one less rosethis Valentine’s Day.
You know, 8 years ago today, my husband met me for our second date with a bouquet of small dried out purple flowers and baby’s breath filler. He handed it to me sheepishly and apologized that it was the best the supermarket on the way had to offer. Flowers have never been his strong suit.
This year though, he can save the stress of that supermarket stop. We’ve chosen to spare the whole dozen. For $60, we are providing the means for ONE child to have ONE year worth of insulin.
Insulin here costs a lot more than that, yes – $150ish a bottle, but because IDF can do a lot with a very little, they aren’t asking a lot.
Our contribution is a start, but because there is more than one child out there in need, I’m asking you to search your hearts and take a glance at your bank account and consider whether you’ve got just a handful of hope to hand someone, too.
1 rose = $5 = 1 month of insulin for that child.
A dozen roses = $60 = 1 year.
Think of the parent who holds their sick, suffering child for the last time, knowing that a bottle of insulin would have saved his life. It makes me heartsick.
Valentine’s Day is about LOVE. Not flowers. I choose love.
