Real life with diabetes: Insulin for Life

Jared biking in Moab when he was 13. Proof that diabetics can live a normal life!

Today I'm re-sharing an important message I originally wrote about 7 years ago. Since I wrote this, the availability of insulin in the U.S. has even gone down for some families--because of rising prices! It's incredibly sad & frustrating to hear about the lengths some are having to go to afford the insulin their child needs to live. So please, read and share this post and check out a story KSL did for more.

Here's my original post:

I have to start out by saying that we are really blessed to live where we do, in a free nation with all kinds of medical help available. When Jared needs anything, such as blood glucose testing strips or insulin, all I have to do is go down the street to the pharmacy to pick it up. What's more, insurance pays for most of it. That's a huge blessing too...and I recognize that. It's not true for everyone. I wish I knew why it isn't true for everyone, but I guess that's a huge question for another time and place.

During a regular visit to Jared's pediatric endocrinologist a couple of years ago, the doctor told us something that we had never thought about before. Kids in developing countries, such as India or Africa, who get Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes die from it within a year. (And trust me, it would NOT be a pleasant death). The reason is because either they can't get insulin at all, or if insulin happens to be available, it often costs more than the family makes in an entire month or even an entire year! This was something that really hit us hard. Jared had been in a rough patch--otherwise known as diabetes burn-out--and he'd been complaining about diabetes a lot. This news effectively put a stop to that. His smart doctor helped him realize that though diabetes is a tough disease, he's blessed to be able to get what he needs to live with it. Sadly, a lot of kids in the world don't.

Today I am sharing this news just to make you aware that children are dying of diabetes because they can't get or afford insulin. It doesn't have to happen. There is a group devoted to providing insulin and other supplies to children with Type 1 diabetes around the world.

Insulin for Life USA is a non-profit organization that helps diabetic children in developing countries get the insulin that they need to live.  To learn more about this problem or to help out, visit the website at www.insulinforlifeusa.org.