Holly Rey Connects with Young Warriors in the Fight for Better Diabetes Care

Photo Credit: Holly Rey via Facebook

SA musician and proud Diabetes advocate Holly Rey got to connect with children living with the condition in rural Mpumalanga – an experience that opened her eyes to the reality of their health struggles and the everyday heroes working tirelessly to support them.

Mpumalanga, South Africa (09 April 2026) – South African singer-songwriter Holly Rey has a very personal and public connection to diabetes: she has lived with Type 1 diabetes since she was diagnosed at the age of 11 and has grown to become an advocate for diabetes awareness in South Africa.

She was recently part of a diabetes camp in rural Mpumalanga and Limpopo, where she got to spend time with children living with Type 1 Diabetes in underserved communities. An experience that was both eye-opening and life-changing.

Because Type 1 Diabetes is invisible, Holly came to terms with the devastating reality of just how misunderstood it is and met with limitations in the public health system. The incurable, life-threatening condition requires constant management, insulin, test strips, monitoring and education. Every single day. Without these, survival is not guaranteed.

“And yet, for so many children in rural communities, access to these essentials is inconsistent or completely absent,” Holly says.

“What I witnessed is something I cannot unsee. This week, I learned just how broken our healthcare system is, and how deeply that failure impacts the most vulnerable.”

At the camp, Holly met a young girl who lost her vision due to prolonged high glucose levels and another living with multiple complications from years of inconsistent care. There was also a teenage boy who had to be carried to hospital in DKA, only to find there was no insulin, as well as a newly diagnosed child, overwhelmed and under-supported.

“Every child had a story. And every story pointed to the same truth: Access to insulin and test strips is the difference between life and death.”

But on a lighter and promising side, she also got to meet the heroes – volunteer doctors from across the world, working with limited resources and the individuals on the ground who refuse to let these children fall through the cracks.

Such as Eksoda Scofield Mazibuko, who walked through floods in Limpopo, going door to door collecting insulin to save the life of the boy who arrived at the hospital where there was no insulin.

“He is the first call parents make in a crisis. He is the bridge between scarcity and survival. He is the force behind these camps, three-day lifelines where children receive care, education, monitoring, and hope. These camps save lives,” Holly reflected.

Her visit to that camp was a powerful reminder of both the struggles and the incredible resilience within the South African diabetes community.

At the end of camp, children received gift packs and returned home with renewed hope. Attendees recommitted to doing more – more camps, more access, more advocacy.

“But we cannot do it alone. We are calling on ONE corporate partner to step forward and lead. Through our Wear It Forward campaign, we are raising funds to expand these life-saving camps across South Africa.”

Holly and her team are striving to move beyond awareness and into real, measurable impact, which will improve –and save– the lives of diabetes patients, especially children in overlooked parts of the country.