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Diabetes community rallies to meet insulin supply needs after Hurricane Irma
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As a weakened Hurricane Irma made its way out of Florida, local diabetes organizations quickly took stock of the damage and organized an effort to deliver insulin supplies to those who need it most, according to an area endocrinologist.
“We’re on day 4 with no power, no running water, but things could be a lot worse,” Mark A. Atkinson, PhD, of the department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine at the University of Florida in Gainsville, and the president of Insulin for Life, told Endocrine Today on Wednesday. “At the Insulin for Life headquarters, where we have all of our supplies stored, power never went out. We didn’t lose air conditioning, and we didn’t have to go to backup plans. It’s dry and held up well.”
Atkinson, speaking from a landline phone in Gainsville, about 5 hours north of Miami, said many Florida residents, particularly those in the Florida Keys, are just now able to reach out and communicate their needs following the largest storm on record to ever hit the region. For people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, those needs could include insulin, testing supplies, pump supplies and glucagon, among other items.
In the wake of the back-to-back disasters of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, many aid organizations have been stressed to meet growing needs, Atkinson said.
“There was no break, there was no down time [between storms],” Atkinson said. “If you asked me a week to 10 days ago what we needed, we needed supplies — either from manufacturers, or through donations, or financial donations — because the efforts that the coalition are undertaking were not planned for and were in nobody’s budget. There usually is a little bit of lag time between when the disaster hits and when we start to hear those needs. We are having some communication difficulties. When you have areas where 30% to 50% of the people are without power — myself included — that leads to issues.”
Insulin for Life, a non-profit organization that provides diabetes supplies in times of need, has partnered with a growing group of organizations to make sure everyone with diabetes has the medication and supplies they need. Partners include the American Diabetes Association, JDRF, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Endocrine Society and T1D Exchange, among others.
Atkinson said he has been moved by the large effort to help from so many groups.
“These are all the stakeholders,” Atkinson said. “I’ve been in type 1 diabetes efforts for 34 years now, and I’ve never seen around any cause this large a group of organizations, all coming together for one purpose.”
Tom Karlya, vice president of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and “Diabetes Dad” columnist and father of two children with type 1 diabetes, said Wednesday that he was working with partner organizations like Insulin for Life to help identify diabetes needs after the storm.
“The need right now is coming in on individual basis, people reaching out on social media,” said Karlya, speaking from his second home in South Carolina after evacuating from Hollywood, Florida. “It’s unfolding in live time. [Partner organizations] are standing and are absolutely ready to help. There are a lot of ears to the ground, so when somebody hears something, we’re ready to act.”
Karlya said that, so far, diabetes supply needs have not been as great as anticipated, in part due to good preparations and the connectivity of social media. Still, he cautioned that many people in the storm’s path may still be cut off without power and unable to convey a need for help.
“It may be that we haven’t heard from people yet,” Karlya said. “There is help if you need it, so contact us.”
The American Diabetes Association has a call center to assist with hurricane relief. Call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383) Mon day through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time . If you are a health care provider in an affected city and need diabetes supplies, call the ADA supply request hotline at 1-314-INSULIN.
For more information on ways to help with relief efforts, including how to donate extra supplies or make a monetary donation, visit www.diabetes.org or Insulin for Life at www.ifl-usa.org. – by Regina Schaffer