Tag Archives: #sparearose

Spare a rose yet?

February 12, 2018 – 10:11 am

The cause that everyone loves and loves to contribute to is back. The Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign is in full swing this week as we get closer to Valentine’s Day, February 14.

Can you believe this is the sixth year for Spare a Rose? Ever since 2013, the Diabetes Online Community has led the way in promoting this wonderful fundraiser for the International Diabetes Federation.

The idea is simple: if you have a special someone who you buy a dozen roses for on Valentine’s Day, consider buying one less rose and donating the cost of that rose to the IDF’s Life for a Child Program, which helps provide insulin, diabetes supplies, and education to kids in less resourced countries. You know, the places where it’s hard to get and pay for these things.

As we’ve said before, the cost of one rose saves the life of a child for one month. The cost of a dozen roses gains a child in another part of the world an entire year to play, go to school, and be with their families. Who doesn’t love that?

There are children all over the world who are depending on us. So please, take time right now. Go to lifeforachildusa.org/sparearose.

On behalf of myself, the diabetes community, and the parents of children in need, Thank You.
 
 
While I’m at it, let me send a shoutout to all of the diabetes podcasters taking part in the third annual Diabetes Podcast Week!

All over the internet, podcasters are helping to raise awareness of the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign. I’m retooling my podcast right now (back very soon), so I’m not able to take part. But I’m happy to let you know who you can connect with this week to get your diabetes podcast fix, and to hear more about Spare a Rose, Save a Child: simply go to diabetespodcastweek.com and find out who will be rolling out a new episode during this special week.

It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year, and while I won’t be a part of it this time, I very much look forward to hearing everyone else. You should listen too!

And finally, I don’t want to forget to wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day full of love and saving the lives of children with diabetes.

By StephenS | Posted in Advocacy, Diabetes Podcast Week | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

It’s Diabetes Podcast Week! Diabetes By The Numbers presents: Karen Graffeo and Diabetes Sisters Voices

February 8, 2017 – 9:22 am

Hello, and welcome to my little part of Diabetes Podcast Week.
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This week, eleven diabetes podcasters and video bloggers are taking part in a week-long diabetes information-fest, and centering once again on the Spare A Rose, Save A Child campaign. So listen to this episode, then use the giving link to make your donation and save the life of a child living in a developing country who is also living with diabetes. More information on Spare A Rose, Save A Child is at the beginning of this episode, and there’s an additional link below.

My guest for this episode is one of my best friends in the world, Karen Graffeo. But that’s not why you should listen to our conversation. You should listen because Karen, in addition to leading Diabetes Sisters’ Virtual PODS (Part Of Diabetes Sisters) group, is helping to lead Diabetes Sisters Voices, a collaboration between Diabetes Sisters, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of North Carolina, TrustNetMD, and the Diabetes Sisters stakeholder advisory board of women and diabetes advocates.

If you’re a woman living with diabetes, there is an easy way for you to participate in this groundbreaking research, and Karen is going to tell you all about it. There’s also a link below. I think I also may have inadvertently convinced Karen to reprise Diabetes Blog Week this spring:) I hope so.
DBTN

Reference Material – Click below for more information on this topic

Are you a woman living with diabetes? Find out more and participate in Diabetes Sisters Voices research:
DiabetesSistersVoices.org

Help save the life of a child by using the giving link and donating to Spare A Rose, Save A Child:
LifeForAChildUSA.org/SpareARose

Thanks to Stacey Simms for coordinating Diabetes Podcast Week again. Find out about Diabetes Podcast Week and meet each podcaster by going to:
StaceySimms.com

Karen Graffeo writes about her life with diabetes, and hosts Diabetes Blog Week at:
BitterSweetDiabetes.com

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes By The Numbers, Diabetes Podcast Week | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (4)

Not a schmuck.

February 12, 2016 – 9:09 am

SpareARoseBanner

Today, I finally got around to making my donation to this year’s Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign.

I consider myself very fortunate, because sometimes I have a few dollars to spare to donate to worthy diabetes-related causes. More importantly, even if it were a real stretch, I would still want to find a way to give to Spare A Rose.

That’s not because it’s visible right now, it’s not because it’s the flavor of the month, it’s not because people I know and like are involved.

It’s because Spare a Rose, Save a Child saves lives.

The bad news: Children diagnosed with or living with diabetes in a developing country can die without access to the insulin, meters, test strips and more that are part of my simple, everyday management of this chronic illness. Why should those kids be left out? Why should they be denied the very things that will keep them alive?

The good news: I can do something about it. I can’t get CGM approval for Medicare patients approved all by myself. I can’t keep companies from marketing cinnamon/okra/yogurt treatments or “diabetic socks” all by myself. I can’t cure this stupid condition all by myself. But I can, all by myself, make a contribution that will make a measurable difference in the life of a child who could die without my intervention.

That’s pretty powerful stuff.

It’s a simple idea. The cost of one rose on Valentine’s Day? That’s about the cost of one month’s worth of life-giving insulin for a child living in a developing country. The International Diabetes Federation’s Life for a Child Programme has boots on the ground in those countries, saving lives where they otherwise would be lost. Partnering for Diabetes Change helps gather donations through the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign and get them to the IDF.

Look at the next child you see. Imagine that child not having access to the insulin they need to life the life they deserve. Then imagine what you can do about it. I’ll bet you can come up with something.

Giving to Spare a Rose, Save a Child means I’m more than just a schmuck with a blog. It means I’m a schmuck with a blog who’s a life saver too. Not the butterscotch kind, though those are pretty good. Think of yourself as the kind of person who saves lives. Then go do it. Give, so children can live.

CLICK HERE or on the banner above to donate to Spare a Rose, Save a Child.
 

By StephenS | Posted in Advocacy | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

Still time to #SpareARose.

February 13, 2015 – 9:54 am

Click here to save children – Donate to Spare A Rose, Save a Child

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As we approach Valentine’s Day, let me remind you that this is the perfect time to help save the life of a child living with diabetes in a developing country.

I’m so lucky… I got to make a trip to Europe, and never once had to worry about my insulin needs. Others, children in fact, do not have this luxury.

Insulin should not be a luxury.

Make a donation now to the International Diabetes Federation’s Life for a Child program, and help ensure that children live. Just five dollars buys a month of insulin for a child in the third world.

There’s also an option that allows you to have a donation made on your behalf on a monthly basis throughout the year. In “Save the Children” terms, that’s just 17 cents per day to help give a child a chance at the life they deserve.

We never know how children will grow up. How many Ghandis or Mandelas are out there waiting to be discovered? With your help, they can get their chance to shine.

For People With Diabetes, insulin should not be a privilege; it should be a right. Help maintain the right to insulin for Children With Diabetes by making your donation to the Spare A Rose, Save a Child campaign today.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Advocacy | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

Show the love, save a life.

January 30, 2015 – 1:12 pm

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I’m headed out of the country for the next ten days, so depending on how my work and play schedule goes, you may or may not read more in this space over the next week and a half.

But before I depart, I want to remind you that it is always the season of…

Paying it forward.

Hope.

Life.

The Spare A Rose, Save A Child campaign begins February 1.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the lucky people who have access to the life-giving insulin that keeps our blood glucose from skyrocketing, causing sickness and complications, and even death to People With Diabetes. You may pay a lot for it, but you have access to it. In fact, you may have a ready supply in your refrigerator at home right now. This morning, I counted 8 vials of this life-sustaining medicine in my fridge.

But you know, there are a lot of kids who do not have access to insulin, let alone a refrigerator, and for them, a diabetes diagnosis could be a death sentence. That’s where you and I come in.

Partnering for Diabetes Change and the International Diabetes Federation have teamed up once again to help raise money for the IDF’s Life for a Child program through Spare A Rose, Save A Child.

Really, what they’re doing is helping to save the lives of Children With Diabetes in 49 countries around the world who would be facing an extremely bleak future if you or I didn’t act, now. The idea is simple:

Have a special one in your life? Would you send roses to that person this Valentine’s Day? Going on the premise that one rose would cost about five dollars (US)… If, instead, you donated that five dollars, that cost of one rose, to the IDF’s Life for a Child program, you could help them purchase insulin for a child in a developing country for an entire month.

It’s that easy to see how your donation can make a difference. Five dollars saves the life of one child, for one month. But why stop there? By that math, the cost of one dozen roses could help a child live for an entire year! Last year, donations totaled enough to provide a year’s worth of insulin for 454 children while raising over $27,000. Can we do even better this year? With your help and my help, I think we can.

Click here or on the banner at the top of the page to be a lifesaver today.

This year, there’s even a way you can set up an automatic monthly donation via your bank card. Imagine looking at your bank statement each month and saying to yourself “Power bill, auto loan, Oh, look at that… there’s where I saved the life of a child (or two, or five, or ten) this month”. How freakin’ powerful is that?

And hey, can you do one more thing? Can you let the world know about it? I mean, why should you and I be the only ones out there saving lives? Let’s help others get in on the action too. Be sure to share the Spare A Rose campaign everywhere you have a social media footprint, and at work and school too. Share the giving link and the #SpareARose hashtag liberally. For more ideas on how you can help spread the message, go to SpareARose.org.

Five bucks, one child, one month of life. That’s a very measurable way to put a value to how you can make the difference– a life-sustaining difference– right now, today.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Advocacy | Also tagged , | Comments (4)
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