如今，由于持续的COVID-19大流行，美国与加拿大之间的跨越更加艰难，这意味着许多美国人被脱离了负担得起的胰岛素的重要来源。
多年来，这个国家的高胰岛素价格促使许多糖尿病（PWD）越过边界以寻找更负担得起的胰岛素, mainly in Canada and Mexico. But that ground to a halt when those U.S. borders shut down for most of 2020.
受影响之一是Heather Woodin southeast Michigan, who for several years before the COVID-19 crisis had been sourcing her insulin from Canada. She’s lived with成人发作1型糖尿病（T1D）自2017年初30多岁以来，她的十几岁的儿子和父亲都生活在这种胰岛素依赖类型的糖尿病中。
Being in Metro Detroit within a half-hour of the border, Wood says she had traveled to the nearest town of Windsor, Canada, for the past 5 years to find more affordable insulin. And then, COVID-19 hit.
“I absolutely panicked when I read about the border closings,” Wood told DiabetesMine.
尽管把胰岛素带回美国s is technically illegal, it’s “decriminalized” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and there’s a
Wood was able to make it across the border a few more times even despite the pandemic-related closures, thanks to understanding border agents who determined it was an “essential” visit but instructed her to only travel to the Windsor pharmacy and then return.
伍德说，随着几个月的进展，她每次都面临着不同的情况，而Covid-19限制的发展：
- 第一访问：They allowed her in with a face mask as long as she didn’t go anywhere else.
- 2nd visit:She entered Canada with her boyfriend but only one of them could enter the pharmacy while wearing a face mask.
- 第三次访问：Wood again traveled to the border with her boyfriend, but she was forced to stay in the car at the Canadian customs’ side while he was allowed to walk to the local pharmacy to pick up the insulin prescriptions (just over a mile-and-a-half away). They were told to not return to Canada together anymore.
- 第四次访问：伍德的男友独自旅行，但美国加拿大习俗不想让他进去，除非他在安大略省隔离了14天。在“疯狂的电话并与海关交谈”之后，伍德说，每个人都同意允许当地的加拿大药剂师将胰岛素直接交给边境的男友。
伍德说：“我的儿子目前无法获得负担得起的胰岛素，他在我的男朋友试图越境以捡起胰岛素的那一天。”“当他打电话告诉我他们没有让他进去时，我崩溃了。我们唯一的选择是带我的儿子去急诊室。而且，无论如何我都无法负担胰岛素的费用，更不用说医院费用了。”
It was the generosity of pharmacist Frank Vella atMedica Pharmacythat changed everything that day, allowing Wood and her family to obtain needed insulin. Medica is a relatively new Windsor pharmacy opened by Vella himself in mid-2019. He spoke with DiabetesMine by phone and said it was the least he could do.
“当您成为药剂师或医生时，您就会宣誓。我认真对待这一点，并尽我所能。当有人遇到问题时，我会尽力解决这个问题，并提供帮助。”他说。
Vella says he has a special appreciation for the United States, as he attendedpharmacy school at Wayne State University在底特律，还曾在密歇根州的圣约翰医院居住，然后在CVS和Rite Aid工作，然后在温莎开设自己的小药房。他说，他很高兴现在在这场Covid-19-19危机期间提供帮助，因为美国在生活中非常欢迎他。
韦拉说，他已经不止一次去边境过境，不仅提供胰岛素，而且提供其他必要的处方（从癌症药物到怀孕后药物）到有需要的美国人。
他说：“我们在这里不是在谈论麻醉品或非法药物，我们在谈论胰岛素和癌症药物等重要事情。”“人们需要这些，如果我能提供帮助，即使是通过物理地将它们穿过过境的交叉送往手工交叉，我会的。”
“Everyone’s trying to do their part and be understanding with what we’re dealing with,” he added.
对于伍德和她的家人而言，当胰岛素和其他补给品的成本高昂时，这在与T1D的生存方面有所不同。
“The sheer relief of being able to get the insulin my son and I needed was incredible,” she said. “Knowing you require a medication to survive and not knowing if you will be able to acquire or afford it is something too many people struggle with.”
As a grassroots diabetes advocate who supports the＃胰岛素4ALLmovement, Wood says she has been involved in mutual aid efforts for the past few years and sometimes helps other PWDs get supplies and insulin they need. She got involved after struggling to afford insulin for her T1D son, who was diagnosed in March 2015 at age 12. Her father was also diagnosed a half-century ago in 1970 in his 20s, when he was fresh out of the U.S. Air Force.
因此，由于家庭中的长期T1D，她在2017年1月39岁时就诊断出来并不像以前那样令人惊讶。然而，在她的家庭中拥有多种胰岛素依赖性，使胰岛素负担能力具有挑战性。
伍德告诉糖尿病敏感，如果没有保险，他们的胰岛素组合需求将达到每月2,286美元的价格。相比之下，加拿大费用通常为每月734美元。
With insurance, Wood and her dad generally get enough insulin, but it’s her son who has the most need for less-expensive Canadian insulin.
她说：“我有时不得不在访问很困难的情况下进行评估，或者保险或其他困难使胰岛素变得比需要的困难。”
“No one should ever have to ration their insulin. People are dying because of rationing. I am very lucky to live so close to the border to be able to access more affordable insulin. I wish everyone had this option. This is why I fight for #insulin4all. Almost every day there is a need for help, and it breaks my heart.”