What is Spare a Rose (SaR)?
In 2013, a group of diabetes advocates from the Diabetes Online Community (DOC) came together to start a project that would support people with diabetes in under-resourced countries. This campaign, SaR, over its first nine years raised almost USD$400,000 for the Life for a Child (LFAC) program, all going to provide insulin and diabetes supplies to children and young adults with type 1 diabetes. In addition to raising funds, SaR has raised awareness in the diabetes community of this important charity and the great work they do.

2022 heralded a new chapter in the SaR story, which we continue in 2023 in partnership with Insulin for Life (IFL).

We now look at how we can support people with diabetes who 'age out' of childhood and youth programs that have an upper age limit for recipients or who develop diabetes as adults. Type 1 diabetes is incurable, hence the need for insulin, related supplies and care is lifelong.

February 2022 also saw the start of an ongoing war in Ukraine. Extension of our 2022 SaR campaign specifically for Ukraine raised over USD$150,000, enabling the IFL network to deliver hundreds of diabetes aid shipments to Ukraine. This highlighted the DOC's desire and ability to also help people with diabetes impacted by disasters.

In 2023, and again in 2024, we continue SaR, Save a Life.

Donations from SaR will be directed to IFL, www.insulinforlife.org, a registered charity that provides insulin, other diabetes supplies, education and advocacy to many of the under-resourced countries supported by LFAC and our initial SaR program. IFL and LFAC already partner on various projects and share the same goals of easing and saving the lives of people with diabetes in less advantaged regions.

IFL has decades of experience as a 'first responder' to disasters, providing essential diabetes supplies, usually before major aid organisations can mobilise major donations. For people with Type 1 diabetes daily insulin is essential. Thus, the SaR, Save a Life campaign will also enable IFL to better assist people with diabetes during and after man-made and natural disasters.

SaR attracts many smaller donations which, when put together equals many thousands of dollars, showing the impact even the smallest donation can have.

SaR is a campaign for the community, by the community. Every donation counts. Join us.