Jill Clarke was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at five years old. Now in her 70s, she is proof that diabetes should not stop you doing the things you love, and she has written a book about it.
Liberated Life Sentence: Memoir of a Diabetic is the story of a life unimpeded by that long- ago diagnosis and the trials that followed. It's the story of a brave woman, in her own words.
Jill lives in Whanganui, a devout Christian, she thrives despite her diabetes and the impaired vision that resulted from her "disability". The book's cover features a photograph of Jill when she tramped the Heaphy Track, further evidence of a life lived.
Jill says it was David Kirby, committee member with Diabetes NZ, Wanganui branch, who said she had a story to tell, a book to write. He suggested it could educate younger people who had no idea of what it was like to be labelled diabetic 70-odd years ago.
The book is self-published and printed by H&A Print with financial assistance from Wanganui Lions, United Lodge of Whanganui and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous.
"The purpose [of the book] is to give an understanding that diabetics can do stuff: they don't have to just sit down and do nothing," says Jill. "You can get out and live an ordinary life, and mine is sort of extraordinary, in a way."
In her early years she was not so active, as her parents were "probably scared stiff" that Jill would damage her health if she participated in sport, for example.
"They didn't know enough about diabetes. There was only one other person I knew who had it and she died when she was 13." She had been at school with Jill.