Monday, February 3, 2014

The Spare a Rose Initiative and how you can help.


Maybe I can’t change the world.  But I can change one child’s world.

Maybe I don’t have enough money to make a huge difference.  But I do have enough money to make a huge difference for a child.

Maybe I can’t fly and hold these children that are suffering.  But I can send insulin, and help ebb their suffering a bit.

Maybe I can’t do all I want to do.  But that shouldn’t stop me from doing something.

Something.

I can do something.

You can too.

At the Medtronic Advocate Forum I learned that in Haiti and Africa, newly diagnosed children with Type 1 Diabetes have an 80% mortality rate.

90% if they are a girl.

Only 10% of girls are able to get their hands on insulin when diagnosed.  And for those that do, they often have to use a different insulin every month.  Whatever is available.  Sometimes that insulin is only long acting insulin.  Sometimes, it is only fast acting.  Sometimes it is a combo insulin of the two.

Whatever it is, they want it.

These children deserve a chance to live.

And the answer is simple.


 This vial can change everything.  This vial is life.

What if I told you that only 5 dollars would keep one child alive for a full month?  Wouldn’t you have an extra 5 bucks laying around?  Wouldn’t giving that 5 dollars to a child mean more than a Grande Mocha Frappuccino?

Please, consider donating today.  As a diabetes online community, we take two weeks out of the year to spread the love, and to save lives.

Spare a Rose, Save a Child is the brainchild of the DOC.

It is our opportunity to say, “I’m blessed to have insulin in my fridge.  I’m going to keep someone alive today as a token of my gratefulness.”

It’s our opportunity to spread the love on a day that is meant for love, Valentines Day.

To light your fire, I’m going to offer you this:  A Box of Love.

If you share this post, or heck, ANY post about the Spare a Rose campaign or even simply link to the Spare a Rose webpage, leave a message for me in the comments. Tell me whom you shared it with, or how.  You can share on your blog.  You can share on Twitter, on Tumblr, on Instagram, on Facebook…with your next-door neighbor, with your extended family by email…any share…that all it takes to enter you to win my Box of Love. 

Inside my Box of Love is a smattering of prizes, to show you that even a small gesture like sharing, can make all the difference, and reap great rewards.  There is only one box, and only one winner, and everyone can enter only one time. 


And donate.  You can use the widget at the top of this blogpost, or you can go directly to the Spare A Rose website.

And leave a comment, on this post.  Tell me what you did to spread the word.

Here is your opportunity to make a real difference in the life of a child. 

If YOU don’t.  Who will?  Do you think what you can offer is too small?  I think a month of life can never be too small.

We have less than two weeks.  Get the word out. 




And let’s change some lives.

24 comments:

  1. Proudly shared on my FB page. I had to reread the line that said there is an 80% mortality rate - 90% for girls. My children have insulin overflowing. We are blessed. and we will donate

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  2. It didn't really occur to me that there were children without access to insulin. It makes my heart hurt! Thank you for helping to spread the word, I have shared your post and hope that many of my friends will read it and donate as well. Thank you Meri!

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  3. Happily shared on my facebook page - I'm supporting this in place of my usually detest of Valentines Day & asking my friend to do the same <3

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  4. Thanks for helping to spread the word and doing this, Meri. I don't want to be considered for your box of awesomeness, I just wanted to say THX and to send my comment love your way.

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  5. Shared on Facebook. I am a conflicted mess of grief and thankfulness right now. Thank you for offering us a chance to donate.

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  6. Posted this on my fb page and will do so on my son's fb page as well. It is so important for all of us in the Diabetes type 1 community to do what we can to help by spreading the word and donating what we can. I am running a fundraising campaign to raise money for our son's pump, insulin and related supplies since none of it is covered by insurance here in Costa Rica where we live. This is a huge stress and challenge for us but seeing what these children and their families are faced with puts it all in perspective. I can't imagine the anguish these parents go through and the suffering that their children endure. I have donated and will continue to do so. Thank you so much for bringing this to our awareness.

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  7. I think about this often and I am so grateful for the healthcare our son is able to be a part of, however flawed it may be, he has access to all that he needs for wellness. Sharing on my FB page and IG feed. Thanks Meri!

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  8. Thank you so much Meri! I shared this on my facebook page and pinned it on Pinterest. We have been so blessed throughout our journey with this disease, I pray we can do more to help those who have not had the healthcare that we have.

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  9. Shared on my Facebook page and on RachelSaurus Rex's page!

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  10. The inspiration you provide knows no bounds. Thank you for prompting us in this and giving me a way to show my appreciation for all that I have by helping someone else, even in this small way.

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  11. HI there. What a worthy cause. Happy to donate and share. Medical supplies are expensive and so much need for more awareness and education about T1.

    Yvonne

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  12. Shared on my fb page as well as my twitter. Thanks for sharing this info.

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  13. Shared on my FB and Twitter pages. Love this concept not only for Feb but year round :)

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  14. Diana Sonafrank SennFebruary 5, 2014 at 3:17 AM

    Sharing on FB. Most of us take the health we are blessed with for granted. I can't imagine growing up with a 'childhood' disease that has to be managed daily. You Meri, ARE simply amazing! I can barely manage me let alone 4 chlidren with diabetes! You are definitely my hero! Happy to donate, thanks for sharing!

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  15. Heck yeah I want to be eligible for the box of love, Meri!!!! FB share accomplished. Donation accomplished. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Very important stuff happening that we all need to be aware of and a part of.

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  16. Shared on FB and donating! So sad! Thank you for spreading the word on this.

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  17. Thank you SO much for this information! I shared it on facebook and joyfully made my own donation. My uncle, husband and youngest son are type 1 diabetics, and, in the midst of the chaos of day-to-day life, it's easy to forget how blessed we are and how fortunate, lucky we are to have access to insanely good healthcare and supplies. It was a PRIVILEGE to donate to provide insulin to children who otherwise would not survive. Thank you, Meri!

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  18. Thank you for making me aware of this! I shared it with my family and I also shared it on Facebook. I cannot fathom not having the means to survive.

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  19. I shared this on my blog, too. My mother has a co-worker whom has type 1 diabetes and is from Georgia, the small country below Russia. He fled his country and immigrated to the PNW because he was literally dying from lack of treatment. He now collects glucometers, lancets, insulin, needles, anything he can to take back to his country every couple of years...we do all we can to support his efforts because he knows first hand how difficult it is there. I can not fathom being unable to get to the supplies we need. I am so glad that there is a group that we can donate to that will help so many throughout the world. Thank you for sharing his Meri :)

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  20. I told my Hubby, I am not giving you roses again this year. Don't give me any back. A bouquet of life is so much more.

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  21. What a beautiful idea! I did a blog post the other day to spread the word! So wonderful how they've almost doubled their goal! Yay!!! :)

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  22. Shared this, hoping to make $20,000 at least!

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  23. My 9yr old son woke up this morning with high BGL, ketones and vomiting as he had a bent cannula and hadn't received any insulin from his pump for 9 hours. I realised that while I am grateful for insulin I definitely take it for granted. Thank you so much for bringing this cause to our attention. I have shared on Facebook and I'm encouraging my family and friends to spare at least $5. When you compare it to a cup of coffee it's not much to ask but it can make a huge difference to a child's life.

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  24. Hello Meri, I am not sharing this for your Box of Love that you are generously donating. I am doing it because I feel super darn lucky we are Canadian and my daughter has insulin at her fingertips. I am doing it because I can't imagine what those other mamas are feeling, in Haiti and in Africa. Shocking, really. Thanks for sharing this.
    xo Jules

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