104 Years of Hope: The Story of Insulin — and the Life It Gave Me

There are moments in history that reshape what it means to live. For millions of us around the world, the discovery of insulin is one of those miracles. And for the last three years, I find myself thinking about four extraordinary men whose determination, brilliance, and deep compassion changed the course of human life forever.

This year, especially, I’ve been reflecting on just how close the world came to losing people like me — long before our stories even had a chance to unfold.

🌱A Spark That Saved Millions

In the early 1920s, type 1 diabetes was a heartbreaking diagnosis. Children wasted away, parents stood helplessly by, and doctors had little to offer beyond starvation diets that could only delay the inevitable.

Frederick Banting, a young surgeon with a stubborn streak and a tender heart, couldn’t accept that. After reading one scientific paper late one October night in 1920, he scribbled an idea in his notebook—a simple, almost desperate thought that maybe, just maybe, the pancreas still held a secret.

That spark became a fire.

And he wasn’t alone for long.

He joined forces with medical student Charles Best, metabolic expert J.J.R. MacLeod, and biochemist James Collip — four minds, one shared heartbeat of purpose. Together, they chased an idea with the kind of all-consuming determination we now associate with a global health crisis, working day and night with no promise of success. And somehow, through grit, grace, and a courage that feels almost divine, they created the world’s first true treatment for type 1 diabetes.

By January 1922, they injected 14-year-old Leonard Thompson with insulin derived from dog pancreases — and within days, he was no longer dying. By the end of 1923, insulin was being manufactured around the world.

It remains one of the most breathtaking scientific triumphs of all time.

💛Altruism at Its Finest

This part leaves me in a hush of awe, wrapped in a gratitude so deep I don’t think language will ever quite catch up to it.

When the four men patented insulin, they each sold their share to the University of Toronto for one dollar.

One.

Single.

Dollar.

They believed no one should profit from a cure that belonged to humanity.

And when Banting and MacLeod won the 1923 Nobel Prize, they split their awards with Best and Collip because they felt the recognition belonged to all of them.

It was teamwork in its purest, most generous form — a reminder that when egos fall away, miracles rush in.

🧪From Animal Extracts to Modern Insulin

Those early injections were made from dog pancreases, then from pigs and cattle. They worked, but they were imperfect — inconsistent, allergy-prone, and hard to dose.

But science marched forward:

• 1930s–1940s: Longer-acting insulins like protamine zinc and NPH arrived.

• 1950s–1970s: Purification improved dramatically, making injections safer and steadier.

• 1982: The world changed. The first recombinant human insulin (Humulin) was produced using genetic engineering. No animals, no impurities — just clean, reliable insulin.

• 1990s–2000s: Rapid-acting and long-acting analogs were born. For the first time, people could live with flexibility and precision.

• Today: Pumps, CGMs, hybrid closed-loop systems, ultra-rapid analogs, and insulin that acts nearly like a real pancreas.

We’ve gone from rigid meal schedules and unpredictable peaks to living real, spontaneous, joy-filled lives.

And the next decade?

Weekly insulins, cell-based therapies, and maybe — finally — a biological cure for T1D.

🌟My Life Because of Insulin

This is where history becomes personal.

Without insulin, I would not be here.

I would never have lived long enough to be called Honey by the little girl who lights up my world.

I wouldn’t have walked beaches, hiked cities, traveled across the ocean, laughed with friends, or dreamed about the love I still believe is waiting for me.

I wouldn’t have grown into the woman I am today — strong, joyful, adventurous, and deeply grateful.

And I certainly wouldn’t be looking ahead with a full heart, imagining future grandchildren to adore and the decades of life I hope will overflow with love, wonder, and whatever surprises are meant for me.

Insulin didn’t just save my life.

It gave me a future.

💪Living Fully — Even Without a Pancreas

I live every day with the mindset that diabetes will never take center stage in my story. I let my tools work for me. I do not let it limit me. Not in my joy, my travels, my energy, my sass, or my dreams.

If anything, this journey has shown me that we are stronger than we ever imagine ourselves to be. And that surviving something hard doesn’t make you fragile — it makes you mighty.

If I can live a full, rich, happy life after cancer and a total pancreatectomy, then someone reading this who feels scared, overwhelmed, or unsure of what comes next…

If this finds you at the right moment, please hear this:

Your story isn’t over.

Science is still evolving.

Miracles still happen.

And you are more resilient than you know.

✨A Century of Progress — and So Much More Ahead

It has only been 104 years since insulin was discovered. In the grand sweep of human history, that’s barely a breath. And look how far we’ve come.

From dog-derived extracts to AI-assisted glucose management.

From starvation diets to living boldly.

From a whispered hope in a lab… to millions of long, beautiful lives.

Including mine.

Here’s to the next century of breakthroughs — and to every life that will be saved because four men refused to give up on an idea that changed everything.

🍯 Honey Note:

If you’re facing something hard, remember: hope evolves, just like science. And miracles often start as tiny sparks on ordinary days. Give yourself grace, keep going, and trust that your story still has beautiful chapters ahead.

With love, always —

Honey (MaryNell)