60 years with diabetes: Barbara Holborow OAM

Barbara Holborow is known to many for the far-reaching difference she has made in her professional life as a former Children’s Magistrate. She is also known for her social commentary through the books she has authored.

But on World Diabetes Day Ms Holborow was recognised for a major achievement in her personal life. Living 60 years with Type 1 diabetes.

She was presented with a Gold Kellion Victory Medal by Australian Diabetes Council President Neville Howard during a World Diabetes Day event held at the Sydney Dialysis Centre.

'As you can imagine, I am so proud of living 60 years as an insulin-dependant diabetic,' Ms Holborow said, accepting the medal.

'I’ve had to conquer it - and I’ve conquered it many times.'

Her presentation was made after the announcement of the 2004 Diabetes Australia Research Trust grants which saw $2 million go to diabetes research projects around the country.

Ms Holborow recalled the day she was diagnosed at age 13 – it was the first time she had ever seen her father cry, as he sobbed at her predicament.

'I had to learn to take my own insulin. Nobody told me what a hypo was… nobody knew,' she said.

Diabetes management in those days was more difficult, more primitive and more painful, but Barbara also remembers the anxiety that accompanied the condition.

'You would test blood [glucose] levels in test tube with blue fluid and two or three drops of urine - and you would pray that the fluid didn’t turn brick red.'

Even if she knew she hadn’t eaten anything wrong to cause the brick-red result, she would still feel guilty seeing how much her mother suffered when this result showed up.

She addressed the researchers again:

'With your help, no 13-year-old will have to go through that - just keep on going there.'

Yet, Ms Holborow has never let diabetes get in the way of her plans and served many years in the Australian legal system including as a Magistrate of the Children’s Court. She has also been awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

Ms Holborow said 'children are my life,' particularly her own child and 8 foster children… for this reason she is grateful to today’s diabetes researchers.

'Every child that is a diabetic, or potentially a diabetic, is your responsibility,' she told them.

'I want to say thank you to all the researchers who have worked for a cure for diabetes, because I wouldn’t be here without you.'