SUMMER 2019 / DI ABETIC LI VING 49
Seeing [IFL USA’s] passion
made me think about
natural disasters & victims
in a more complete way.
—Kona Menyonga, IFL USA volunteer
BOX IT
FORWARD
“I imagined myself back at the hospital
not having the supplies and then getting
them,” Skyler says in Insulin for Life. “I
know how much [others living with dia-
betes] need them and I know how hard it
is without the supplies. I just can’t imagine
how it would be without them, so I knew
that I had to give them and I knew it would
make someone else happy to get them.”
The IFL USA website (ifl-usa.org) has a
wish list for donations, and instructions for
how to pack and ship supplies and insulin.
Carol Atkinson’s wish list also includes fi-
nancial contributions to help run the orga-
nization, and more manufacturer- donated
supplies. While they do receive supply do-
nations from a number of pharmacies and
pharmaceutical companies, who always
ask to remain anonymous, Carol would
like to see more. “We would love [more]
donations from manufacturers. I hope it
will happen at some point.”
Looking ahead, Carol Atkinson wants
to support pump therapy, which she ex-
plains they haven’t done yet due to lack
of resources. But she acknowledges that
domestically there’s a growing awarenessand concern for support of pump therapy,
and so IFL USA is trying to identify how
they can add pumps to the supplies they
can collect and distribute.
Her broader interest, however, is rais-
ing awareness for donations of supplies,
tools, and money. There are so many
supplies in people’s homes that aren’t
being used. “We don’t want to see waste
or destruction of them when we could
put them to use with people who need
them,” she says.
She would also like access to more
countries abroad. “We are always in
communication with potential new part-
ners,” she says. However, because many
factors are at play, the work of taking on
additional partners is slow. “We want to
ensure that those we partner with have
a firm foundation and understanding of
insulin therapy and are able to properly
store and safely administer supplies,” says
Carol. While they continue to screen for
additional partners, she acknowledges
the work they are doing now: “We are
honored and pleased to play a role in
helping those who we can.”Have supplies you no
longer need? IFL USA
accepts the following
diabetes supplies,
as long as they have
at least 3 months until
their use-by date:n Insulin vials, pens &
cartridges
n Glucagon
n Ketostix
n A1C test kits
n Glucose meters
n Insulin pen needles
n Syringes
n Lancets & lancing
devicesNOTE: IFL USA is unable to
accept insulin pumps or
pump equipment at this
time. Please contact IFL
USA before shipping in-
sulin, as they have special
shipping instructions to
protect insulin from heat
during transport. For more
information, including the
shipping address, visit
ifl-usa.org/how-you-
can-help/ or call (352)
327-8649.Supplies packed
for delivery,
complete with
a personal note.
Above: A young
patient in Belize
uses insulin
donated by
IFL USA.