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Welcome to 2016!

Photo courtesy of Brit Liggett

Happy New Year! 

It's hard to believe that we're already a month into 2016. As the Young Leaders in Diabetes gear up to spend yet another year making a difference in the global diabetes community, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the amazing work being done by IDF's Life For A Child initiative and acknowledge the impact it has on people with diabetes around the world.

 

Natán's Story

My name is Natán. I've encountered many realities of life with diabetes in Bolivia. I’ve worked in diabetes camps for seven years. Each time I host one, it makes my heart break and brings tears to my eyes because the list of campers is decreasing. On average, we lose two friends per year due to acute and chronic diabetes complications.

One such friend was Moisés Guzman, who had a severe hypoglycemic episode six years ago. Without access to insulin or glucagon at home, Moisés would repeatedly call me, wondering if I could lend him some test strips. Receiving a call to discover my friend would never again join us at camp had a tremendous impact on me.

Another case is that of my friend Yanira Pedraza, whom I met at my first camp, when she had poor eyesight and other avoidable complications after having diabetes for 20 years. For her first 10 years of living with diabetes, her father believed she would go blind from taking insulin.

There are many things I want to improve in my country, starting with developing a system that does not discriminate against those who have no money to access good health. Many Bolivians work very hard, such as my friend Pablo Galán, who has worked for 15 years as a security guard to subsidize his insulin costs because his parents died when he was a kid.

Making a Change

Campo Amigo Bolivia 2010: On the floor from right to left: Moises Guzmán, Silvana Arrázola, Jesús Daniel, Maria Anglarill (yellow tee), Natán Pereira, Nancy Andia, Yanira Pedraza (above Natán). Sitting from right to left: Laura Arandia, Katherine Barahona, Damaris Laguna, Marco Baldivieso, Sandra Villar, Joaquina Uriona, Iara Amantegui. Standing from right to left: Jorge Yabeta, Sonia Serrano, Giovanna Rojas, Mario Brito and Laura Ortiz (above Sandra Villar).

As the first Young Leader in Diabetes from Bolivia, I am working to improve conditions for those with diabetes, including my friends at camp. I have always believed that diabetes camps are the best way to educate, teach, and learn about diabetes. Health is a right, not a privilege. If we did not have access to Life For A Child in Bolivia, there would be many more stories like those of my friends. I think we need to reach all poor people of my country, and I keep the smiles of Moisés Guzmán, Yanira Pedraza, and all of those we have lost due to diabetes complications in my heart. They are my inspiration to continue working.

- Natán Arioc Pereira Gutiérrez, Young Leader in Diabetes from Bolivia

Life For A Child

Life For A Child, the IDF initiative that is currently helping over 17,000 children and youth with diabetes in 46 countries around the world, began in 2000. LFAC is active in Bolivia, and as Natán's story shows, the initiative to provide adequate supplies, medical access and testing, diabetes education, and support for those working in diabetes care is urgently needed.

Natán is not the only IDF Young Leader in Diabetes who lives in a country supported by LFAC. There are many of us across the globe who rely on such life-saving organizations. IDF works with NGOs, industry leaders, and individual donors through the LFAC initiative to reach those who need it the most. 

As Young Leaders, we constantly see a need for even more support for people living with diabetes, including our friends, so that LFAC can reach a greater number of people who are waiting for basic supplies, like insulin. An increasingly critical component of LFAC support is education - education for those living with diabetes and their families. 

Spare a Rose

On behalf of those struggling with diabetes in Bolivia and around the world due to lack of education and resources, the Young Leaders in Diabetes ask you to support the LFAC Spare a Rose campaign this February.

By donating the cost of a single rose on Valentine’s Day to LFAC, as well as engaging in our global social media campaign, you can help us raise vital funds for and draw awareness to the amazing work of LFAC. We do this with the hope of seeing our friends year after year at camp because they have the opportunity to access the diabetes health care and supplies they need.

Keep an eye out for our campaign throughout the month of February and remember to Spare a Rose this Valentine’s Day in the name of Life For A Child.

Coming Up

Photo: International Diabetes Federation Facebook page. View the photos, webcasts, posters and abstracts from the World Diabetes Congress: http://bit.ly/1Qb8y0h

We hope you've enjoyed this issue of the Young Leaders in Diabetes newsletter. All of us have busy times ahead following the 2015 World Diabetes Congress, so stay tuned for more in-depth stories from our Young Leaders, updates on YLD projects, adventures, and more!