June Ralph was only nine years old when she suddenly lost a lot of weight and developed an unquenchable thirst.
Her father immediately recognised the symptoms as diabetes, because Ms Ralph’s brother had been diagnosed when he was five.
Sure enough, doctors confirmed Ms Ralph had type one diabetes – an auto-immune condition in which the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
“I was devastated. Being a little girl, I thought, what have I done to deserve this? Have I done something really bad?” Ms Ralph said.
“The doctor spoke to my mum and dad … but they didn’t really explain things to me back in those days. I just hated it, I couldn’t accept it.”
Now 61, the Hoppers Crossing resident said she had since made peace with her condition but still admits to days when it can get her down.
Ms Ralph has five injections a day to manage her condition and credits her daughter for looking after her whenever she suffers a “hypo” – when her blood glucose level is too low – or has fallen unconscious after not eating consistently or monitoring her blood sugar levels.
She will receive the Kellion Victory Medal for living with diabetes for more than 50 years at an awards ceremony to mark National Diabetes Week in Melbourne next month.
Ms Ralph advised anyone who has been recently diagnosed to seek out the help and education on offer.
