After living with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years, Sunshine Coast resident Marjan Beer will receive the Kellion Victory Medal today.
The award is presented annually by Diabetes Australia during World Diabetes Month, held every November, to honour people who have lived long and well with diabetes.
Marjan hopes her story will encourage others, especially those newly diagnosed.
“You can live a full and happy life with Type 1 diabetes,” she says.
“Don’t let it stop you from following your dreams. But don’t ignore it, either.
“Complications are not inevitable.
“With modern technology, it’s easier than ever to manage.”
Marjan was just 24, a young mum with two small children, when she was diagnosed.
“There was an overload of information, plus the shock of learning how to inject myself,” she says.
She practised on an orange – standard teaching at the time – but says injecting yourself is something else entirely.
“In those early months, it was terrifying,” she admits.
“You heard so many stories about blindness, amputations.
“I worried about having a low (blood glucose level) while caring for my kids or driving. Some people acted like it was a death sentence.”
Despite the fear, Marjan built a rich and varied life. She raised two children with Rodney – her husband of 54 years, moved house many times, completed a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Arts, and played active roles in churches around Australia.
“I am living a full and happy life,” Marjan says.
“Diabetes has not stopped me.”
The best changes to her treatment have been the swap from a single insulin injection per day to multiple doses, and the invention of blood glucose self-monitoring. Now, continuous blood glucose monitoring is possible with a phone app.
“The hardest thing is recognising the relentlessness of diabetes,” she says.
“There are no days off from the multiple decisions I have to make. When blood glucose levels go haywire, I don’t always know why, so I just have to persevere and not let those times overwhelm me.”
Receiving the Kellion Medal is deeply meaningful for Marjan.
“From the fears of my initial diagnosis until today, I have lived well – contrary to the expectations at the time,” she says.
She encourages openness rather than shame: “Don’t hide your diabetes. Friends can help if you have a low, and you can teach them about diabetes and how to support you.”
This World Diabetes Month, Diabetes Australia is celebrating the wins that matter: $40 million invested in research, the launch of 1800PREVENT (Type 2 diabetes), record-breaking support for DiaBuddies (community support for children and their families), and new partnerships with GroHealth and Youfoodz to make everyday life a little easier.
Marjan’s story stands as a powerful example of what is possible – not in spite of diabetes, but alongside it.
