This Valentine’s Day, consider supporting children with diabetes who are struggling to access life-saving diabetes care through Life for a Child’s annual Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign. Donating just $5 – the equivalent of one rose – can support a child for a month, and 12 roses can support a child for a whole year.

All it takes is three easy steps:

1. Buy one fewer rose this Valentine’s Day – or one fewer special coffee or one fewer beers!
2. Donate the cost of that rose to Life for a Child program
3. Receive a card to print and give to someone special

The campaign is run by the diabetes online community to benefit Life for a Child, an organization that addresses the stark realities of having type 1 diabetes in less-resourced areas of the world. Through partnerships with local diabetes centers, Life for a Child supports over 18,000 young people by providing insulin, syringes, blood glucose monitoring devices, test strips, A1c testing, diabetes education, and clinical care. We’d love to see this number grow exponentially.

At the recent 2018 JDRF Mission Summit, David Helmsley, Trustee of the renowned Helmsley Charitable Trust, noted that the most potential to make a difference in diabetes is by improving insulin access: “Keeping people alive will have the most impact.” Spare a Rose aims to do exactly that, and a small gift goes a long way. We encourage those who can to spare a rose this Valentine’s Day, and we applaud you for your commitment to the diabetes community. And, think of it as special thanks to the Helmsley Charitable Trust, which has committed billions to help type 1 diabetes.

In 2017, Spare a Rose raised enough money to save the lives of 368 children for one year. Please help us make an even bigger impact in 2018.

By Jeemin Kwon, Emma Ryan, and Kelly Close