After a successful venture with Diabetes Station, I am returning to my old format of fun and information about diabetes. In a less formal format, I hope to bring you comraderie as well as useful information about living with diabetes. If you have questions, if you're looking for the latest information, if you just want help getting through the day, I am available. Join me at Virtual Nurse's newest diabetes website, Diabetes Information Portal. You will find latest news reports, polls, updates and of course, our favorite chat site all here, waiting for you. So come on over, kick off your shoes and lets get to know eachother. See you soon.

Collection for Russian Children

Here's your chance to help the children in Russia who have such a hard time getting supplies to take care of their diabetes! If you haven't read it yet, take a look at "Life in Russia with Diabetes", a moving letter from Lana about what it was like for her living in Russia and trying to take care of her son when he was diagnosed with diabetes. Many of us from Melissa's Diabetes Chat have been so moved by Lana's story that we have collected and sent supplies over to Russia, to children in need.

Twelve Russian teens with diabetes - 10 girls and 2 boys - have arrived to spend the summer in the US. They will be attending camp, staying with host families, and participating in the "Tour of Friendship", a 2 week, 700 mile bicycle trip through Michigan and Wisconsin. This program of Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana has brought over 60 Russian children to the US since 1993.

In addition, Dr. Sam Wentworth, co-founder of the group, hosted a 5 day diabetes conference for teens near Moscow in March of this year. Seventy Russian youth attended, learning new information about diabetes management and, just as importantly, gaining feelings of hope about living with the condition. Russians with diabetes are automatically classified as invalids, and excluded from many opportunities for education and employment. As a result, most try to keep the condition hidden. Our program helps these children realize that they can lead successful lives with diabetes.

We are also trying to provide them with the supplies needed to manage their diabetes. The economic situation in Russia is very bad. The middle class has been reduced to poverty. One third of families are now at or below the official poverty level--defined as a monthly income of $32 or less! Several of our older kids have had part-time jobs with US companies, but have not been paid in several months and are being laid off. Foreign companies are pulling out of Russia because business is so bad. In many cases, these kids have been the sole support of the family, since many adults lost jobs months ago.

Some insulin is still offered in the major cities, but the cost is very high. What little insulin is available in other areas is of animal origin, much of it domestically produced and of inferior quality. Strips are not available, or priced out of reach of all but the wealthiest. We fear for the health and lives of all people with diabetes in Russia.

We are currently collecting insulin - NPH, Regular, and Humalog (vials or cartridges) and strips (One Touch or Elite), to send home with the campers in August. Dr. Wentworth has also made arrangements with an importer to purchase insulin and strips in Russia, at wholesale cost.

Thanks to the generosity of visitors to this site and other donors, Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana was able to send several months' worth of insulin and strips to these and other Russian children in December 1998, and Dr. Wentworth took over $25,000 worth in March, 1999.

Donations of insulin and strips, or money to purchase them, are fully tax-deductible. Whether or not you can make a personal contribution, please consider printing this flyer and posting it at local pharmacies, doctors' offices and churches, sharing it at diabetes support group meetings--any place potential donors might be found within the diabetes community.

We hope to send the campers home with enough insulin and strips to last them throughout the coming year. If you would like to help in this effort, please send your donations to:

For more information, e-mail russiankids@yahoo.com

Thank you for your generosity.

Any family that has a problem affording insulin can call this number 1-800-545-6962 and they will instruct you to have the endo call..there's a brief form that the endo must fill out. You will then be given vouchers for a 6 month supply of all insulins you need to take. They will give you 6 months supply at one time..all that's required by the patient/parent..is a $2 copay. All insulin for the 6 months has to be picked up at the same time..it's meant as temporary help for families, but you can keep requesting every six months..

David Renwick; Picture on shirt drawn by Sergey Zavyalov

Samuel M. Wentworth, M.D.