You Don't Send Me Flowers Anymore

Two years ago my husband stopped sending me flowers for Valentine's Day. 

Our favorite florist has not gone out of business.  The magic is not gone.  We have not gotten a cat like my childhood one who eats the flowers and then throws them up all over the house. 

We just decided that the following is true:

Flowers die.  Children shouldn't. 

The Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign asks us to donate the cost of one Valentine's Day rose ($5) to Life for a Child, which is part of the International Diabetes Federation.  Life for a child's mission is "Saving the lives of children in the developing world." According to their website, Life for a Child is currently helping 17,000 children and youth with diabetes in 46 countries.  Also from their website, the program aims to provide:

Sufficient insulin and syringes

Blood glucose monitoring equipment

Appropriate clinical care

HbA1c testing

Diabetes education

Technical support for health professionals 

Can you imagine being unable to access insulin for your child with diabetes?

Can you imagine dosing insulin with no access to a glucometer or test strips?

Can you imagine being handed insulin and syringes with no meaningful education on how to use them?

Can you imagine seeing your child ill and suffering and subsequently die from undiagnosed diabetes?

I can't quite imagine any of those scenarios, but I know that they're happening in at least 46 countries around the world.  And I'm certain that if there's anything I can do to help even one child have access to basic diabetes care, I need to do it.

So once again, we'll spare a dozen roses their Valentine's Day fate. 

Please join us, and save a child instead.