In the sixty years Linda Simpson has lived with Type 1 diabetes our understanding and treatment of the condition has improved dramatically. She is now on a mission to help fund more life-saving research. Lizzie Anderson reports

WHEN Linda Simpson was seven years old her weight plummeted to just two stone. Frequently dizzy, doctors suspected she had worms but her failure to respond to treatment eventually led to a diagnosis of type one diabetes.

Sixty years later, Linda is slim and active with no sight or limb problems and a positive outlook to life. In the decades she has lived with the condition, her method of taking insulin, diet and quality of life have improved substantially and now the 66-year-old is fundraising to ensure future generations continue to reap the benefits of Diabetes UK’s research.

The Northern Echo: AWARENESS: Linda Simpson from Stanhope who has lived with type one diabetes for 60 years pictured with the device she used in the 1970s to inject herself with insulin Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT
AWARENESS: Linda Simpson from Stanhope who has lived with type one diabetes for 60 years pictured with the device she used in the 1970s to inject herself with insulin. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Diabetes is a lifelong condition which causes a person’s blood glucose level to become too high. It occurs when the pancreas does not produce sufficient levels of insulin, a hormone which controls the amount of glucose in the blood.

Type one diabetes is when the pancreas does not produce any insulin, while type two diabetes occurs when it does not produce enough or the body’s cells do not react to it. The latter is often linked to obesity, a health epidemic which has dominated the headlines in recent years.

Linda, from Stanhope, County Durham, says: “Obesity can be a contributing factor to type two diabetes but not everyone who has it is overweight. I think there is still a lack of awareness about diabetes and people often confuse the two types. I sometimes get people saying to me ‘you don’t look like someone with diabetes’ which shows how little they understand it.”

Diabetes, which affects more than three million people in England, can have serious health consequences including an increased risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, nerve damage, kidney disease, foot problems and sight loss. It can also prove fatal. In 2001, Linda’s son Paul, who also had type one, died at the age of 27 after high blood glucose levels led to diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition which sees the body break down other body tissue as an alternative energy source.

However, with careful management, people with diabetes can lead long and happy lives and by speaking out about her own experiences and holding fundraising events, Linda hopes to raise awareness and money for further research.

“Diabetes UK carries out such important work,” says Linda. “The changes I have seen over the years have been amazing. When I was a child I had to inject myself four times a day with a huge needle. I hated it but I had no choice. The diet was much stricter too and we didn’t know anywhere near as much about control as we do today.

“Research has led to the insulin pump I have today.”

The infusion insulin pump Linda uses is a portable device attached to the body via a catheter placed under the skin. It allows her to modify the amount insulin she takes with a push of a button at any time of the day and removes the need for multiple jabs.

It means the grandmother-of-three can eat out with friends without worrying, exercise and enjoy the occasional treats as part of the balanced diet she adheres to.

“It has made a tremendous difference to my life,” she says. “It gives me 100 per cent control. When you are injected with insulin that insulin is inside the body and there is nothing you can do about it. With the pump you can increase the amount or you can reduce it so you have less or stop it all together. It has given me so much freedom.”

Linda’s next charity event takes place at The Mile in Brigham Place, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, on Friday, September 18 at 7pm. It will feature a meal, live entertainment and an auction. Tickets cost £8 from lyndene@live.co.uk

Louise Simonian, Diabetes UK regional fundraiser, said: “Linda’s hard work and dedication to raising funds for Diabetes UK is inspiring.

“She does a lot to raise awareness of this life-changing condition and her work helps us care for, campaign on behalf of and connect with people living with diabetes.”

For more information about living with diabetes, the charity’s work and ways to support it visit diabetes.org.uk