Certainly, the obstacles may be drastically different but our desperate need for that insulin is the same: without it, we will die.

Some may be fleeing for their lives. And many may know that leaving their home to get insulin is incredibly dangerous, and their doctors have already left the country because of a civil war taking place in their very own neighborhood. Which is worse: risking your life to try and get insulin or risking your life by not going?

Getting the insulin we need to live is a problem for people with type 1 diabetes all over the globe, even right here in the United States. Some may be living in a small village miles and miles from a location that sells insulin. Some may be homeless, jobless and unable to afford insulin. Some may have to choose between paying rent to keep their home and going without enough insulin for several days versus buying insulin and losing their home.

In Syria, an estimated 2,000 people with type 1 diabetes are without the insulin they need to live.

We spoke with Elizabeth Rowley, Founder & Director of T1International.com about the crisis in Syria and its effect on citizens with type 1 diabetes in this interview:

Q: The website says there’s an estimated 2,000 Syrians in need of insulin right now — do you know what percentage are children versus adults? Or what the total population of type 1 diabetics in Syria is at this time?

The number 2,000 is probably a fairly low estimate. According to the current numbers of patients in the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) facilities, there are around 1,300 children with type 1 who are already being partially covered by SAMS support. The insulin they have might cover their needs for the next 9 months. A bigger concern is the approximately 2,000 other patients with type 1 diabetes (mostly adults) who are currently getting little to no insulin.

The above estimates are from SAMS clinics but there are a few other clinics not supported by SAMS. This means that the total numbers of diabetes patients may be triple of what is mentioned here, but we can’t know for sure. It is impossible to know exactly how many people are left in Syria right now, let alone how many people with type 1 diabetes remain. We do know that most doctors have escaped outside of the country and approximately half of Syrians have left the country.

The work SAMS continues to do, despite regular bombing and targeting of hospitals and what should be safe space, is nothing short of heroic. Without their underground clincis many more patients with diabetes would not have made it.

Q: As a type 1 myself, I can’t imagine how awful I would feel going even 6 hours without insulin let alone several days. What is the real picture like for someone with type 1 diabetes who doesn’t have access to any insulin?

We all know that without insulin, a person with type 1 daibetes can die within days, if not hours. In Syria there are no longer any insulin production facilities, so when people are able to find insulin at a pharmacy the prices are outrageous and oftentimes the insulin is expired. Even if there are clinics in their city (or a nearby city) that might have inuslin, it is incredibly dangerous to travel.

Sadly, many people in Syria with diabetes are not surviving because they cannot get their insulin or other supplies. This is why we are running the campaign and working closely with SAMS who are on the ground in some of the most needed locations like Aleppo and Idlib. We want to ensure as many of our fellow people with diabetes survive amidst this terrible crisis.

Q: Prior to everything Syrians are facing today, did they get their insulin in ways similar to how we get our insulin in the USA? Via a pharmacy? And now, today, could you explain why getting insulin from a pharmacy is nearly impossible?

Prior to the war, care for people with diabetes in Syria was much more stable than it is now. One man who was in touch with T1International described what it was like before the crisis:

“We had an excellent health care system, so most medical service was free and anyone could get it. We had a lot of hospitals and medication dispensaries. For example, my region of about 100, 000 people had four major government hospitals and there were at least 10 dispensaries. Patients with diabetes were offered free insulin. The price of insulin and blood sugar measuring strips was not problematic for most patients with diabetes.

But now, most hospitals and dispensaries in Syria have been destroyed. Attempting to walk, sometimes for hours, to find a functinoing pharmacy means putting your life at risk every time.”

Q: How can people help?

Please donate! You will truly be saving lives. Here’s the link to donate and here’s the option to pay using PayPal.

Your donation can help in the following ways:

£10 ($14) could provide someone with insulin for at least one month

could provide someone with insulin for at least one month £30 ($40) could provide 200 test strips for one or more people with diabetes

could provide 200 test strips for one or more people with diabetes £65 ($87) could provide someone with approximately one year’s worth of insulin

could provide someone with approximately one year’s worth of insulin £100 ($134) could provide someone with approximately one year’s worth of insulin and life-saving test strips to monitor blood sugar levels and adjust insulin dosages

Insulin and other supplies will be purchased in Turkey by the SAMS team. It will be brought over on a reefer truck by the incredible SAMS staff who will cross extremely dangerous roads to get back to Syria. They know that although it is unsafe, there are thousands who need insulin urgently. There are only a number of operating hospitals left in Syria, many of them underground. These will be the main points of distribution of the insulin and supplies, where things can be kept cool.

100% of funds raised will go towards insulin and supplies for people in Syria amidst the crisis.

Photo credit: T1International.com