To save a life is to save the world.
Marjorie, Dr. Banting's collie who survived 70 days post-depancreatization was proof that science needed to begin human testing of isletin - insulin's initial form. Her life, her sacrifice, Dr. Banting, and the insulin discovery team changed and saved the world for millions of diabetic patients.

This was a remarkable read, and I appreciate the style that the author used to tell the story of insulin discovery, between the lives of scientists in the process to the life of a diabetic child that quite literally lived by the 'to starve is to survive' practice. When reading a book about scientific discovery, no matter the discovery, remembering those that have lost their lives to a disease that never saw the light of treatment or cure is humbling. Twenty-nine years ago, at the age of 2, my best friend and partner was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and he is only here today to share his life with me because of the discovery of Dr. Banting and his team. Without him, the lives of diabetics and their loved ones would have been at a significant loss. 

“Banting’s initial idea was neither original nor successful, but he persisted in it, and his persistence led to a solution that was both original and successful. He would later say that if he had been more familiar with the literature on the subject and had known about the previous attempts, he would not have pursued his idea at all. Fortunately [..] for millions of children, he knew next to nothing.”