A Philanthropist, A Fighter, An Inspiration
Wendy Novak’s Story
Wendy Henderson Novak’s life demonstrates that it is possible to live a long, healthy and active life with Type 1 diabetes. Her life also reveals the experience of growing up with a disease that impacts not only the physical well-being of a child but also their social and emotional health.
Wendy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 7 and lived with the disease for nearly 65 years. Her father, Jack, also had type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile diabetes) and as a child was one of the first people to receive insulin treatment. She remembered crying after receiving her diagnosis, feeling a great deal of disappointment that she had to learn how to give herself shots and wondered what her life would look like.
While she was a self-described “sickly kid,” she never believed that diabetes could or should hold her back in life. Being self-sufficient in diabetes care was drilled into her at a young age. Wendy remembered practicing giving herself insulin shots with oranges, boiling syringes, and using a whetstone to sharpen them. From a very young age, as she shockingly watched friends at a diabetes camp struggle with their conditions, she knew she wanted to help other kids with diabetes thrive and be independent. Today, that spirit endures at Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute.
