A patient at The Dudley Group has received a commemorative medal from Diabetes UK in recognition of 50 years of managing his condition.
Garry Edwards, 63, from Stourbridge was awarded the Alan Nabarro medal at Russells Hall Hospital for his triumph in living with the long-term condition. The Alan Nabarro medal is a special award given to people who have lived with diabetes for 50 years.
Father-of-three Garry said, “I was 14 when I was first diagnosed with diabetes and had to spend 10 weeks in hospital. It wasn’t common for people to have diabetes back then and I felt like my life had come to an end.”
Garry, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1966, has seen dramatic changes in diabetes care in the past 50 years.
Garry said, “It is fantastic that times have changed so much that there is now more support available to people living with the condition. Diabetes has never stopped me from living my life and enjoying myself.”
Clinical Service Lead for Diabetes Dr Terence Pang, who presented Garry with his award, said, “A lot of work and discipline goes into managing diabetes and so I am extremely pleased to be able present Garry with this award.”
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Notes to editors
- Photograph (left to right): Dr Terence Pang and Garry Edwards
- Type 1 diabetes
- Around 350,000 adults and children in the UK have Type 1 diabetes.
- It is the less common form of diabetes, accounting for only 10% of all diabetes sufferers.
- To stay healthy, people with type 1 diabetes must take regular insulin injections, have a healthy diet, do plenty of exercise and have regular blood tests.
- Type 1 diabetes is caused by the cells in your pancreas becoming unable to produce insulin. This happens when a person’s immune system mistakes these cells as being harmful and attacks, destroying or damaging them to the extent that they can no longer produce insulin. It is still unknown what triggers the immune system to do this.
- The condition usually develops at a young age, often during teenage years.
- The Alan Nabarro medal
- This medal is awarded to people who have lived with diabetes for 50 years. Alan Nabarro waged a lifelong battle against discrimination against people with diabetes. In 1968 he was awarded the OBE for his work with young people in London. For more information on the Alan Nabarro medal, go to https://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Medals/
For more information, please call Chace Smith, Communications Assistant for The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, on (01384) 456111 extension 1064 or email communications@dgh.nhs.uk
