01/11/2026
A medical miracle happened on this day in 1922. ❤️🩺
January 11 marks the first time a human life was saved by an injection of insulin. The patient was 14-year-old Leonard Thompson, lying critically ill from type 1 diabetes at Toronto General Hospital.
Before this moment, a diagnosis of what was then called "juvenile diabetes" was a death sentence. Patients were subjected to starvation diets, prolonging life for only months, sometimes a year or two, in a state of severe wasting.
The breakthrough was the result of relentless work by Frederick Banting, Charles Best, J.J.R. Macleod, and James Collip at the University of Toronto. Using insulin extracted from animal pancreases, they achieved what was thought impossible.
While Leonard's first injection had impurities and caused a mild allergic reaction, a purified dose days later brought his skyrocketing blood sugar levels down to normal. He regained strength and lived another 13 years because of the therapy.
From that day forward, hope replaced despair. Insulin isn't a cure, but it is one of the greatest life-saving discoveries in medical history, turning a fatal condition into a manageable one.
Today, we honor the scientists, the brave first patient, and the millions who live full lives because of their legacy.
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