The Insulin for Life Collection at Thriveabetes 2016 was a huge success and I'm pleased to announce that Sarah MacCann and her family have volunteered to collect unused diabetes supplies at the Thriveabetes for Insulin for Life/IDDT (InDependent Diabetes Trust) again this year. Have you changed prescriptions lately and now have medication such as a brand of insulin that you no longer use?

Or have you change glucose meters recently and now have a lifetime supply of lancets you’ll never use?

Here is a guest post from Sarah about the work of Insulin for Life and information on what you can bring.

Bring your spare diabetes supplies to Thriveabetes for Insulin for Life

We were blown away by the amount of supplies donated at the last Thriveabetes conference. Five full boxes of unwanted supplies were saved from the bin and sent to Insulin for Life to be used by people who really need them.

The discovery of insulin in 1922 was hailed as a miracle. But did you know that while it is estimated that around 50% of people around the world in need of insulin struggle to access or afford it, or that insulin is one of the most commonly discarded drugs in the developed world? Every year, tens of thousands of vials end up in landfill or incinerators and 75% of this discarded insulin is still in-date.

Having access to insulin should be a right not a privilege.

There are many things we can do to make the lives of all people living with type 1 diabetes better, as the amazing Elizabeth Rowley of T1 International will talk about when she gives the opening speech at Thriveabetes 2018.

Insulin for Life collection Details

If you have any of the following spare supplies, please bring them along to Thriveabetes:

Items donated MUST BE:

- Unopened, in-date insulin vials and penfills with at least 3 months until expiry date - Unused insulin pens - Unopened packs of syringes & pen needles - Unused lancets and unopened lancing devices - Unopened in-date glucose test strips - Unused blood glucose monitors

After the conference, your donated supplies will be sent to the IDDT, Insulin for Life’s local partner in the UK, who will send them on to projects supporting children and young people with type 1 diabetes in Africa.

 

Please make sure that everything is unused and in-date.

If you have used that glucose monitor or lancing device only once, please don’t bring it as we won't be able to send it on for someone else to use (and we will have to pay to dispose of it).

Thanks so much. Sarah MacCann

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More information on how to help:

The following organisations are all working to make insulin and diabetes supplies available to all those in need of them worldwide:

• T1International
• Insulin for Life
• InDependent Diabetes Trust IDDT
• IDF's Life for a Child
• Sunrise Foundation
• The Pendsey Trust

You can send your unwanted supplies directly to the IDDT all year round, at:

Insulin for Life InDependent Diabetes Trust PO Box 294 Northampton NN1 4XS U.K.

REGISTER HERE

Thriveabetes” is a one-day conference for people living with type 1 diabetes, or for people who care about someone with type 1 diabetes.

It takes place on Saturday, February 24th in The Red Cow Hotel.

*** Advanced registration is required. Find out more or Register HERE.