FOX 29: On 100th anniversary of first successful insulin treatment local family hopes for more
SAN ANTONIO — Today marks 100 years since the first successful insulin treatment, which has saved millions of lives.
We spoke with a local family who is now fighting to find a cure.
"This is my actual insulin pump. It's the site. This is the part that lives on me," Lexi Banks said.
The 12-year-old who fights Type One Diabetes calls insulin a miracle.
“It's super low key, you probably wouldn't even notice it if I was just walking around,” Lexi said.
She's fought Type one Diabetes for half her life and said the machine she wears is a testament to how far they have come.
“If I didn't have a pump, I would have to be taking around nine shots a day, plus any with corrections or extra food that I want. But with my pump, I only have to have a shot every three days,” Lexi said.
100 years ago, on Sunday was the first successful insulin treatment. The medical miracle has saved countless lives including the 1,600,000 Americans who are currently living with the autoimmune disease.
“When people were first diagnosed, they they said, okay, I've Type one guess I have, like, a few hours to live. But now I said, okay, I have Type one, I have the rest of my life to live,” Lexi said.
Lexi and her mom Pam are both involved with the nonprofit JDRF, which funds Type one Diabetes research. The duo has big plans for the next 100 years.
“I hope that someday there is a cure,” Pam said.
“I hope in 100 years, I can be celebrating the 50th or the 75th anniversary of the cure of diabetes,” Lexi said.
They also hope insulin can be affordable for everyone.
“It costs probably about $500 a vial to keep her alive. And we go through probably about three of those a month. We hear stories of people that ration their insulin because they just can't afford it. Or they have to choose, 'am I going to pay my rent this month?' Or 'am I going to live this month',” Pam said.
Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett among the politicians in Washington fighting to make insulin and other life-saving drugs cheaper as he told us in March of 2021.
"The problem with diabetes being so rampant throughout our area insulin prices have soared and trying to get them to an affordable level, whether it's that or an EpiPen or a more complex drug that might be required to treat cancer the prices are out of control," Rep. Lloyd Doggett, (D) Texas.
JDRF estimates about 110 people are diagnosed with Type one Diabetes daily.
Lexi and her mom hope by sharing their story it will encourage more people to support finding a cure. You can get started learning more here.