HELP A DIABETIC CHILD AND INSULIN FOR LIFE USA PARTNER TO DELIVER LIFE SAVING MEDICAL SUPPLIES

HELP A DIABETIC CHILD AND INSULIN FOR LIFE USA PARTNER TO DELIVER LIFE SAVING DIABETES MEDICAL SUPPLIES POST IAN

Tami Balavage

Help A Diabetic Child announced it is partnering with Insulin for Life USA and a group of Southwest Florida community organizations through the Diabetes Alliance Network to bring lifesaving diabetes medical supplies and insulin to individuals of all ages who are dealing with diabetes and who were impacted by Hurricane Ian.

This collaborative effort offers diabetes medical screenings, insulin and medical supplies to anyone needing them as a result of the hurricane at no charge. Dr. John C. Querci, an Internist for DDC Health Care, has volunteered to serve the medical care needs for this crisis team response. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Querci, call 239-256-1609.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to naturally regulate the body’s blood sugar, leaving diagnosed individuals with a life-long dependency on costly medical insulin. Without the adequate insulin, an individual who has type 1 diabetes can only survive for a few days.

“Many in our community who live with diabetes and are insulin dependent have been left in a crisis, through no fault of their own, due to the storm,” said Tami Balavage, Founder/President for Help A Diabetic Child. “Being unable to keep insulin at a cool temperature or complete loss of insulin and diabetes medical supplies is life threatening.”

Help A Diabetic Child was founded in Naples in 2010 by Balavage after her 16-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It quickly became evident that there was a significant number of children who were unable to get adequate medical supplies for blood glucose testing and insulin injections, which must be done multiple times daily.

Based in Gainesville, Florida Insulin for Life USA provides insulin and diabetes management supplies free of charge to those with diabetes who otherwise would go without these life-saving provisions. The organization collects in-date, unopened, supplies from individuals or organizations and, following careful inspection, delivers them to disadvantaged regions to be utilized by those in need. IFL USA is fully licensed by the State of Florida to both receive and distribute medications for this purpose.

Statistics show that the number of Americans being diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise at alarming rates. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that almost 10% of the population has diabetes, while another 8 million are undiagnosed. In addition, the ADA reports that 86 million Americans over the age of 20 years have pre-diabetes.

For information on Help A Diabetic Child or to support its mission of providing life-saving supplies, contact Tami Balavage at 239-821-5051 or tami@helpadiabeticchild.org.