….who is Sir Frederick Banting
Below is a quick bio of the man who is responsible for the discovery of insulin; his birthday is November 14th, TODAY, and it is this date that the International Diabetes Federation decided was the best day to be World Diabetes Day……and they would be correct. There have been many great ‘findings’ over the years but the discovery of insulin stands alone as the single best discovery yet.
From Wikipedia
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC (November 14, 1891 – February 21, 1941) was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor, painter and Nobel laureate noted as the primary discoverer of insulin.
In 1923 Banting and John James Rickard Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.Banting shared the award money with his colleague, Dr. Charles Best. As of September 2011, Banting, who received the Nobel Prize at age 32, remains the youngest Nobel laureate in the area of Physiology/Medicine. The Canadian government gave him a lifetime annuity to work on his research. In 1934 he was knighted by King George V. In 2004, Frederick Banting was voted fourth place on The Greatest Canadian.
In February 1941, Banting died of wounds and exposure following a Lockheed L-14 Super Electra/Hudson crash in Musgrave Harbour Newfoundland. He was en route to England to conduct operational tests on a new project have nothing to do with diabetes.
About World Diabetes Day from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) website:
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.
For Diabetes Awareness Month:
This month, I will be highlighting someone in the diabetes community. They may be people you know, or might not know, but they give of themselves to make this world, our world, with diabetes a special place. I will not get to everyone this month, but it is my hope that perhaps you can be introduced to some of those you may not know.
I’m certainly not the definitive on who should be included….you are. If you think I should include someone, shoot me an email at tkarlya@drif.org and I will do what I can to include that person as well. Welcome to diabetes awareness month.
I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.