PATIENT STORIES
Earl
Earl has navigated life with type 1 diabetes for over five decades. In 2000, he became one of the first participants in the pioneering Edmonton Protocol, achieving 30 months of insulin independence after 30 years of daily management. Now retired from a career in business management, Earl reflects on his transplant as a life-changing milestone that provided invaluable memories with his family and continues to advocate for the power of innovation in diabetes care.
Below is his journey.
1. Living with T1D
"Life before … transplant was up, down. You didn't know which way you were going to turn."
Running Time 4:45
“Disposable syringes were a godsend because now I didn't have to be somewhere where I could boil those things every day. That meant I could do things like go on a camping trip, go on a holiday. That made a huge difference.”
Running Time 1:56
2. Considering ITx
"the islet cell transplant was an option to help me maintain my life. … without it, I would not be here today."
Running Time 1:31
3. The ITx Procedure
"I expected to be in an OR. I'm not. I'm in radiology... I watched the catheter go through and across my body and into the portal vein of the liver."
Running Time 1:51
4. Recovery & Results
“Within a week of my second transplant, I was off of insulin.”
Running Time 2:34
5. Sum it Up in One Word
“Wow”
Running Time 22s