Brandon was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was five years old in Bolivia. At the time, he was not receiving adequate care, and his parents worried about the cost of managing his diabetes. Brandon’s mom eventually found Dr. Elizabeth Duarte at the local Life for a Child center, and she connected her with the resources she needed to keep Brandon healthy. Brandon is now a dental student, and he says he wants to show everyone “that diabetes hasn’t been an impediment for me…people with diabetes, we can do it!”

Life for a Child is a non-profit organization based in the United States and Australia dedicated to improving diabetes care for children in less-resourced countries. February marks its annual Spare a Rose campaign, which came from a simple but compelling idea – why not buy one less rose for Valentine’s Day and instead donate that money for insulin to a child in need? Five dollars, 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 coffees or one fewer drinks!
2. Donate the cost of that rose to Life for a Child program
3. Receive a card to print and give to someone special

In 2018, Spare a Rose raised enough money to save 572 children for one year. Please help us make an even bigger impact in 2019. Consider sharing this campaign on social media with the hashtag #SpareARose – collectively, we can make a huge difference!

By Jeemin Kwon