2 Local ‘Diabetes Warriors’ Separated by 86 Years
November 27, 2024
Type 1 diabetes is a disorder in which the body’s immune system damages cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Today, people with type 1 diabetes are projected to live 12 years less than the general population, with an average life expectancy of 66 years for men.
In 1938, Don Ray got that diagnosis at just 4 years old. He spent 10 days in the hospital in a diabetic coma. Don’s parents were told he would likely die from complications before the age of 10.
Compare Don to Teddy, who at 4 years old was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes earlier this year. His mom, Lynne, who happens to be a dietitian, noticed he was drinking a lot of water and was having accidents, which was unusual for Teddy.
After a visit to the pediatrician and a three-day hospital stay at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Teddy went home with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Lynne is grateful for the reassurance and comfort the new technology provides as they adjust to this new normal for Teddy and their family.
The first CGM was approved by the FDA in 1999, when Don was already in his 60s, but not used widely with improved technology until years later.
All those years ago, Don learned to live a new life with the disease. Then, he tested his glucose levels with urine strips that showed a certain color – not a number. He would sharpen old needles and reuse them if he needed a shot.
But against all odds, he made it to today – at 90 years old with four children, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, along with a wife of 66 years and an incredible story to tell.
Don receives his care through UH’s Diabetes & Metabolic Center. He is a patient of Betul Hatipoglu, MD, the medical director of the center, and the Mary B. Lee Chair in Endocrinology.
“Mr. Ray is one such person who has made a lifetime journey with diabetes,” says Dr. Hatipoglu. “He is absolutely like a ray of sun upon the type 1 diabetes community. I have watched him move the audience with his stories and compassion to all humanity, and bring hope back to the eyes of parents, youngsters, or all who might have been on the verge of quitting.”
Don and Teddy met at a Family Fun Day sponsored by University Hospitals for patients and families with diabetes. The two became fast friends.
“It was incredibly meaningful to witness Teddy and Don meet at the Family Fun Day,” says Jamie Wood, MD, Medical Director of Diabetes, Pediatric Endocrinology at UH Rainbow and the Mary Blossom Lee Chair in Pediatric Diabetes. “They are two diabetes warriors with journeys separated by 86 years that highlight the incredible advances made in the care of people living with type 1 diabetes.”
Related Links
Learn more about type 1 diabetes care at University Hospitals:
Don and Teddy were featured in a “Heart Strings” segment on WKYC for World Diabetes Day.