Today I sent a letter to most of my friends and family members. It was easy for me to write a blogpost that was read by most of the DOC. It was harder to send an appeal to my “real life” friends and family.

I know that the goal this year for the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign is $10,000 and we have almost reached it. I think that we can do better than that. Don’t be comfortable in your DOC niche. Be brave and send your appeal out to your co-workers, your neighbors, your family, and your friends.

This is the letter that I emailed to most of my friends and family.

Dear Friends and Family,

Most of you know that I have had Type 1 Diabetes for 37 years.  As the beneficiary of good insurance and financial security, I have consistently had access to expert medical care along with the latest and greatest technologies. Most importantly, I have never had to worry about the availability of insulin without which I would quickly die. I have lived a good life with and despite of diabetes and hope to continue to do so for many years.

The Diabetes Online Community (DOC) is sponsoring a huge campaign this Valentine’s Day:  Spare a Rose, Save A Child.  This campaign supports Life for a Child, a program of the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF).  Life for a Child addresses the needs of children in developing  countries, many of whom die within a year of a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis because of lack of insulin and medical care. To understand the scope of the problem, please watch the short video at this site:  http://www.idf.org/lifeforachild/the-programme

Spare a Rose, Save a Child is simple: buy one less rose this Valentine’s Day and donate the value of that flower to children with diabetes.  Your loved one at home still gets flowers and you both show some love to children around the world who need it. 

One rose, one month of life. A dozen roses, a year of life for a child with diabetes.                                            http://www.p4dc.com/spare-a-rose/

I write a blog about diabetes and I encourage you to read my blogpost about Spare a Rose, Save a Child:  https://testguessandgo.com/2014/02/03/spare-a-rose/

It is a rare occurrence for me to approach my friends and family about supporting programs that I am involved in.  I embrace this cause wholeheartedly and encourage you to donate this week as we get ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

To donate, go to:  http://www.p4dc.com/spare-a-rose/give/   You will use PayPal to send your gift directly to the IDF.

Please note the down arrow that gives you choices of how much to donate.  Spare 1 Rose = $5 = 1 month of Life for a Child. 2 Roses = 2 Months and other options up to 2 dozen roses for 2 years of life for a child.

As we approach Valentine’s Day 2014, let us all be generous in sharing our bounty with children all over the world.  To us, a rose is small.  To a child with diabetes, that rose represents another day, another month, another year of life.

With thanks to all of you-

Laddie