On January 11, 1922, the world of medicine changed forever. In a Toronto hospital, 14-year-old Leonard Thompson received the first-ever insulin injection, marking a revolutionary breakthrough in treating Type 1 diabetes. Once a virtual death sentence, diabetes found a lifeline that day.
Thompson was on the brink of death, his body ravaged by uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Strict starvation diets were the only recourse back then, leading patients to waste away from malnutrition. Doctors at the University of Toronto, led by Frederick Banting and his team including Charles Best, James Collip, and John Macleod, had been tirelessly extracting a mysterious hormone from animal pancreases.
After numerous failed attempts and refinements, they produced a purer form of this substance—insulin. The initial dose on Thompson wasn’t perfect, causing some side effects, but within days, an improved version worked wonders. His blood sugar stabilized, strength returned, and he stepped back from the edge of mortality.
This single injection sparked mass production of insulin worldwide. What was once incurable became manageable, granting millions the chance at full lives. Banting’s persistence turned desperation into hope, proving science’s power to conquer the unconquerable.
Today, over a century later, insulin remains the cornerstone of diabetes care. That fateful day symbolizes human ingenuity’s triumph, reminding us how one bold experiment can illuminate paths for generations.