My first exposure to Diabetes began during the 2nd World War when I was led to understand it was a fatal disease and that people who had “IT” didn’t live very long.

I met Helen when we were just young teenagers. Helen was 12 and I was 13. We met during the summer school break when she went north to visit her aunt and uncle. After she went home at the end of the summer, we stayed in touch.

When the war broke out, I enlisted in the air force and while serving my letters with Helen became longer and more frequent. In one of her letters Helen told me about her (Type 1) Diabetes and I thought our relationship would come to an end.

I wanted to marry my best friend when the war ended but I was told she was a risk, a big risk and perhaps I should end our relationship before we got too involved. I asked my mother. She always had given me courage and confidence when my world was in turmoil. “Kenny, if you truly love her, you can be happy. Love will overcome the days of doubt”. How right!

After the war, I moved to Toronto, a few blocks away from Helen, and after a one year engagement we were married in 1947.

At the same time the treatment for Diabetes was changing due to the discovery of insulin.

“Toronto” insulin was manufactured in downtown Toronto. Huge piles of cattle pancreas were kept in cold storage waiting for the insulin to be extracted from them. When a person became allergic to beef insulin, there was pork insulin to take for a little while until your body accepted the beef again.

In the beginning glass syringes were used. When needles were used for any length of time, they got dull. I became very good at sharpening them. Each day, the needles and syringes were boiled for ten minutes to sterilize them.

A group of medical people had a meeting about the need for an association of volunteers to be formed and soon the Diabetic Association of Ontario received its Charter. Helen with her secretarial training volunteered to be the secretary. I did my bit by setting up chairs and driving here and there on errands.

When it became necessary to have a full-time secretary for the Ontario Division, Helen became the first paid person after so many years of volunteering.

With the creation of the Canadian Diabetic Association we became a truly full Canadian association, opening branches from coast-to-coast.

Due to the complications of Diabetes, having a family required consultation with a doctor. In 1949 it was determined that we could have a baby and our our first daughter was born by caesarian section on February 24, 1950. Four years later, again after consultation with the diabetes specialist and her family doctor we were allowed to have our second child who was also born by c-section.

In 1974 a camp for children with diabetes was purchased and Helen took on the task of being the registrar for Camp Huronda working out of the basement office of our home in Toronto.

I quit my job with Metro Toronto and headed to Camp Huronda near Huntsville to become the Camp Manager. It was a most rewarding experience. Children who came very insecure about their future went home knowing more about themselves and how to manage their Diabetes.

The camp children became like our own and to this day I still get Christmas cards from some of those wonderful “Camp Staff and Campers”.

When Helen’s eyesight deteriorated to the extent that it was difficult for her to carry on as Registrar for Camp Huronda we left the camp in 1980 to begin a life of retirement.

I became more involved as a volunteer and served on the Board of Ontario Division and as Regional Director for the Muskoka area where I visited all the Branches of the Region. Helen often traveled with me and was able to promote the values of sending a child with diabetes to camp.

In 1984 I was diagnosed with type two diabetes. Since that time I have had to pay more attention to my health.

Helen had diabetes for fifty-five years and received many awards including a life membership in CDA on June 26th, 1993, the Fifty-year Medal of Joslin Diabetes Center and a commissioned print of a painting done for Novo Nordisc of the home of Sir Fredrick Banting.

In 1993 we were both honored with life memberships in Saskatoon for our years of contributions to the Canadian Diabetes Association. I was honored with the “Eric Roberts Award” for recognition of volunteering for many years.

I know that our contribution has made a difference to those we touched with dedication to help improve “Living with Diabetes”.

Today, although limited in my ability to be part of the action physically, there is still that spirit of belonging and verbally suggesting the best way to stay healthy while living with diabetes.

“Diabetes is Manageable!”