The Bitter Sweet Blog Series – Blog No. 8
Insulin: The Little Miracle That Changed the World
It started with a discovery in 1921. For millions of us, it became the difference between life and death.
Imagine being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in a time when insulin didn't exist. No injections to help your body use glucose, no insulin pens, no pumps, and no lifeline like the one we have today. For many people, a diagnosis meant there was very little hope.
Then came 1921 — the year that changed everything.
At the University of Toronto in Canada, Dr Frederick Banting and medical student Charles Best began working on a way to extract insulin from the pancreas. With the help of Professor John Macleod and biochemist James Collip, their research led to insulin being purified and used to treat people with diabetes.
But the story began with experiments that were not always easy.
The Dog That Helped Change History
During their research, Banting and Best experimented with dogs to understand how insulin worked. One dog, Marjorie, became particularly important. After her pancreas was removed, she received injections of the pancreatic extract the researchers were developing.
Marjorie's blood sugar improved, and she survived for 70 days with the help of the extract.
This was a breakthrough. The researchers were getting closer to discovering something that could save human lives.
The Little Boy Who Was Dying
Then came Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy with Type 1 diabetes. In January 1922, he was desperately ill, weighing only about 65 pounds (29 kg), and was close to death.
On 11 January, Leonard received an early insulin extract, but it was not pure enough and caused a reaction. The researchers did not give up. James Collip worked to purify the extract, and on 23 January Leonard received another injection.
This time, the results were remarkable. His blood sugar dropped, and his condition began to improve.
Can you imagine being his family, watching a child who was so close to death finally begin to recover?
That was the moment hope began to replace heartbreak for families who had almost nothing left to hold on to.
But Where Does Insulin Come From?
Our pancreas naturally produces insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose from our bloodstream into our cells so our bodies can use it for energy.
The first insulin treatments were made using the pancreases of pigs and cattle. Today, modern biotechnology allows most insulin to be produced using specially engineered microorganisms in carefully controlled manufacturing processes.
Science has come a long way!
And Then There Is My Story…
After nearly 30 years of living with Type 1 diabetes, insulin is much more than medicine to me. It is my lifeline.
It comes with calculations, planning, injections, highs, lows, and days when I just wish diabetes would give me a break!
Insulin doesn't make this illness easy. It doesn't take away the fear, frustration, or constant thinking that goes into everyday life. But it gives me the opportunity to live, to love, to be a mother, to share my story, and to keep going.
When I think about how insulin started, I am reminded that behind every injection is a history of determination, discovery, and hope.
Insulin doesn't cure Type 1 diabetes. It gives us a chance to live our lives — and that is something worth celebrating.
So, the next time I reach for my insulin, I will remember that it represents far more than a dose of medicine. It represents over a century of progress and a future that once seemed impossible for people like me.
And I am still here, living my story. ❤️
Until next time, keep fighting, keep living, and remember: diabetes is part of your story, but it does not have to be the whole story.
Schané Jacobs
Author of My Bitter Sweet Struggle
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