Home · Health · Medical Research · Chasing a Cure for Diabetes
Topic spans: 1921 - 2002
Chasing a Cure for Diabetes
It's been the elusive cure, one that scientists have felt they've been on the brink of breaking for the past 80 years. But for years, diabetes has remained a treatable but not yet cured disease. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of death by disease in Canada. Banting and Best are Canada's best known connection to diabetes but the Canadian connection continues. Since the historic discovery of insulin, there have been improvements and refinements. The promise of a cure for all, however, remains as yet unfulfilled, leaving many to live highly regimented and uncertain lives.
17 television clips
7 radio clips
The long life of Ted Ryder, diabetic
Broadcast Date: Oct. 13, 1990
On July 10, 1922, five-year-old Teddy Ryder was among the first diabetics to receive insulin. He immediately began to add weight to his ravaged and tired little body. Ryder and Dr. Banting formed an immediate bond, one that would last his lifetime through an exchange of visits and letters. In 1990 Ryder returns to Toronto as one of the longest-living users of insulin. In this CBC Television report, he attends an exhibit on Dr. Charles Best and describes his long and full life.The long life of Ted Ryder, diabetic
• Ted Ryder was born in Keyport, N. J. in 1917. He was initially refused as a test subject because of the low supply of insulin available. But Ryder's uncle was persistent and visited Dr. Banting in person and described his ailing five-year-old nephew who weighed 26 pounds.• Dr. Banting and Ted Ryder formed an immediate bond and exchanged a series of letters over the course of their lives. A recovered Ryder wrote to Banting in 1922: "I wish you would come to see me. I am a fat boy now and I feel fine. I can climb a tree."
• On Dec. 27, 1938 Dr. Banting wrote the following poignant letter to Ryder: "I shall always follow your career with interest and, you will forgive me if I add, a little pride, because I shall always remember the difficult times we had in the early days of insulin. The outstanding thing I remember was your strength and fortitude in observing your diet and the manly way in which you stood up to the punishment of hypodermic injections. I am sure that you will be a success in life if you maintain the same spirit in meeting the rebuffs of the world."
• Ted Ryder lived a full life, working as a librarian in Hartford, Conn. He died in 1993 at the age of 76. In his will, he left a bequest to the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine to recognize how the gift of insulin profoundly extended and impacted his life.
The long life of Ted Ryder, diabetic
Medium: Television
Program: Saturday Report
Broadcast Date: Oct. 13, 1990
Guest(s): Henry Best, Ted Ryder
Host: Knowlton Nash
Reporter: Brenda Craig
Duration: 2:37
Last updated:
April 29, 2003
Activez le Javascript sur votre navigateur...
24 clips in this topic . page
Television
1:55
A Toronto researcher introduces a way to create healthy stem cells without destroying embryos in 2009.
Topic
Stem cell research brings with it both promise and protest. The promise is that it may help treat diseases such as diabetes, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, but opponents of stem cell research...
Topic from Radio-Canada
For Teachers - Educational activities
- All GradesDiabetes Defined
- 9-10Reporting on the Discovery of Insulin
- All GradesType 2 Diabetes on the Rise
- 11-12Cutting Edge Diabetes Research
- 11-12Complex Questions for Science and Society
- All GradesChasing a Cure
- 6-8Diabetes Timeline
- 6-8Featuring Science
- 9-10The Greatest Canadian
- 11-12The Ethics of Xenotransplantation
The long life of Ted Ryder, diabetic .
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: April 29, 2003.
[Page consulted on Feb. 12, 2012.]