Cover_PAGE1.indd 1 05/04/2017 15:51 Untitled-5 1 05/04/2017 15:52 Produced for the 50th anniversary of Diabetes Ireland April 2017 Published by: Diabetes Ireland correspondence to: MedMedia Publications Diabetes Ireland, 17 Adelaide Street 19 Northwood House, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin Northwood Business Campus, Tel 01 280 3967 Santry, Dublin 9 Email [email protected] Lo-Call 1850 909 909 Tel 01 842 8118 Email [email protected] Website www.diabetes.ie IFC and flysheet.indd 2 05/04/2017 15:50 Since 1967, Diabetes Ireland has been dedicated to helping people with diabetes. Foreword We are delighted to welcome you to this for those with diabetes and influencing publication, produced to commemorate 50 health policy in this area. The purchase of years of Diabetes Ireland. In November 2016 a state-of-the-art headquarters in Santry in we held our 50th annual general meeting in 2013 considerably broadened our scope, Dublin, which marked the beginning of our enabling us to offer services directly to year-long celebrations. thousands of people with diabetes. The opening of another care centre in Cork was The seeds of Diabetes Ireland were sown one of the highlights of 2016. in 1957 when efforts were made to get a diabetes charity off the ground. However, it With our comprehensive support and wasn’t until 1967 that the momentum was education services, our meetings, activities established for an organisation to become and regional services nationwide, our a reality. Some 750 people attended the website and quarterly magazine, we first public meeting of the Irish Diabetic constantly strive to provide what our Association in Dublin. One of its first major members need to optimally manage their successes was to obtain free medication for diabetes. people with diabetes. We would like to take this opportunity to Since then each year our organisation has thank everyone who has given their time, gone from strength to strength as we identify commitment and enthusiasm – in paid roles and achieve annual goals. This publication and as volunteers – over the past 50 years. charts the development of Diabetes Ireland We look forward to many more advances as over the past 50 years. Diabetes Ireland continues to grow. We have grown to become a strong and Hilary Hoey, Chairperson unified voice in advocating for better services Gerald Tomkin, President 0.1 Intro.indd 1 06/04/2017 11:50 Contents From a single room to a state-of-the-art 6 Diabetes Care Centre – Professor Gerald Tomkin 9 Three pioneering women who helped get Diabetes Ireland on its feet 12 Diabetes Ireland – The first 50 years 14 Paper clippings Diabetes Ireland grows from fragmented voices 16 to unified force for change – Kieran O’Leary 21 Diabetes: Yesterday, today and tomorrow – Professor Richard Firth 25 A trip through time with diabetes – Dr Tony O’Sullivan 28 50 years of diabetes care for children in Ireland – Professor Hilary Hoey 31 Kids and teens – Collage Diabetes Ireland changes focus to patient 32 empowerment – Dr Anna Clarke 36 Fundraising – Gary Brady 40 What has Diabetes Ireland done for me? – Gráinne Flynn 42 Parents will always need the support of other parents – Charlotte Pearson 44 Branch Activities 5 Contents.indd 1 06/04/2017 14:44 Since 1967, Diabetes Ireland has been dedicated to helping people with diabetes From a single room to a state-of-the-art Diabetes Care Centre Diabetes Ireland has had a major impact on awareness of diabetes and the development of diabetes services in Ireland, Prof Gerald Tomkin tells Sheila O’Kelly 1967 First public meeting 1999 Four Peaks Challenge Prof Gerald Tomkin n 1975 Prof Gerald Tomkin embarked on what Association. In addition, Paul Mooney, from the Iwas to become a long-term involvement with pharmaceutical company NovoNordisk, then came the Irish Diabetic Association, subsequently the on board and added some extra energy to the Diabetes Federation of Ireland and now Diabetes organisation. Ireland. This had been set up in 1967 by Patricia Between 1995 and 1997 the organisation and Michael Carroll, who had tirelessly run the received a two-year grant of £50,000 for fledgling organisation from a room in their home in educational literature from the Department of Clontarf, Dublin. Health through the National Lottery. Their first major achievement had been in Around this time it also received a £25,000 relation to medication for Type 1. “The Carrolls grant from Servier Laboratories to conduct a pilot were successful in working to get free insulin for scheme through general practitioners to identify everyone with Type 1 diabetes. At that time the people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. health services were not well organised for the In addition, the Four Peaks Challenge in the lesser well off and insulin had very significant cost 1990s attracted attention. Shown on RTE it raised implications for many,” Prof Tomkin recalls. a lot of money. While this was a real milestone for people with “It was important because it showed the public diabetes, there was a lot more to be done. Prof that diabetes was compatible with the highest Tomkin believed that the appointment of a strong achievements,” said Prof Tomkin. CEO was warranted to spearhead efforts at In 1998, Kieran O’Leary joined the Diabetes advocating for people with diabetes and growing Federation of Ireland. One of his early the organisation. fundraising successes was to organise the Ian Morrison, former director of the Bank of Kilimanjaro trek. In 2000, the first National Ireland and chairman of the Adelaide Hospital Exercise Day was held with the aim of Board, became president of the Irish Diabetic developing public awareness that exercise had 6 1. Gerald Tomkin historyTH3.indd 1 05/04/2017 14:20 Since 1967, Diabetes Ireland has been dedicated to helping people with diabetes a role in preventing type 2 diabetes and heart He points in particular to the support from disease. Diabetes Ireland children’s camps and activities, “The organisation has gone from strength and the role of parent support groups. to strength since then. Kieran has excellent For years Diabetes Ireland campaigned for free communications skills and powers of persuasion, annual eye screening for people with diabetes. particularly with the Department of Health. He has Finally, in 2013, the national Diabetic RetinaScreen been an outstanding CEO ,” said Prof Tomkin. programme began. It offers free eye screening for Another key appointment was that of Anna everyone with diabetes over the age of 12 and has Clarke, clinical nurse specialist, who has since been a great success, said Prof Tomkin. received a doctorate and has grown her role The move by Diabetes Ireland from Gardiner into the important area of Health Promotion Street to state-of-the-art premises in Santry in and Research Manager. “Between these two 2013 moved the organisation up another gear. appointments Diabetes Ireland now has a very Prof Tomkin feels that the timing was perfect for powerful voice”, said Prof Tomkin. this major expansion. Underlying the growth and success of the “That was completely due to Kieran O’Leary’s organisation, is the fact that Diabetes Ireland has foresight. He saw the opportunity when property doggedly knocked on doors and continuously prices were so low. It is wonderful to see the Care makes noise about diabetes care. Centre thriving. They have used the space in Santry “Diabetes Ireland has had an enormous effect on to make it an active rather than a passive sort of awareness of diabetes and the growth in services. place.” There was no other voice. It has been a huge When Prof Tomkin came back to Ireland from advocate for patients and provides the necessary working abroad in 1975, there was very little support. We know that the appointments of many diabetes expertise in the country. of our consultant endocrinologists wouldn’t have “Most physicians looking after diabetes had very happened around the country without Diabetes little knowledge of diabetes apart from in one or Ireland. It has also boosted services hugely, two units. However, when I trained I worked with a especially in terms of diabetes nurse specialists, specialist called Robert H Micks in Sir Patrick Dun’s dietitians and podiatrists,” said Prof Tomkin. These who was professor of therapeutics. Prof Micks was services are continuing to expand. exceptional because during the war he promoted Times have changed in terms of how diabetes a new machine for measuring potassium. The is perceived as a public health issue. Around significance of that was that ketoacidosis can 2000 the National Cardiovascular Health Strategy cause potassium to fall to dangerously low levels”. published by the Department of Health and Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a dangerous Children, barely mentioned diabetes. However, following discussions with the Diabetes The official opening of the new Diabetes Care Centre in 2013 by Roisin Shortall Federation, by 2001 the Department had started to rethink this. Up until then there was little awareness about how important vascular disease was in relation to diabetes. “Only microvascular disease – blindness, kidney failure and neuropathy – had been considered relevant. No one talked about large vessel disease – hypertension and dyslipidaemia (cholesterol levels) as being important aspects to managing people with diabetes. So it has changed dramatically over the years,” said Prof Tomkin. Other major developments have been in relation to paediatric diabetes. “Children really had a very hard time when I first started practising. Things have improved dramatically for paediatric diabetes care,” said Prof Tomkin. There were very few paediatricians with specialised diabetes knowledge in the 1970s. Now there are several in the country with 2013 more appointments being planned. “There is much more awareness regarding New state- care of children with diabetes.