Robert Gywn's story
In July, Diabetes New Zealand team member, Arama, met with Robert Gwyn and his wife Rosalie at their home in Northland and presented Robert with the Diabetes New Zealand Sir Charles Burns Award, which recognises 50 years’ managing diabetes with insulin.
Robert has been using insulin for 53 years and remembers very vividly the day he was introduced to administering insulin to himself. His first experience enabled him to carry on, by locating an area that felt bearable at the time.
And this is the approach he continued with for the years to come, focusing on what he called “areas that didn't feel like it was going to hurt”.
Robert now wears an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor and can easily track both his glucose levels and insulin doses on his phone. He shares, “the advantage of the pump, is that I only have half the amount of insulin than what I used to administer to myself.”
Robert was able to reflect on his life's journey as a mechanic in heavy machinery. He lived a great life working in the Whangārei region that also led to working overseas in Australia as a heavy earth machine mechanic.
Robert built his home where both him and his wife Rosalie enjoy life on their small lifestyle block.
