100 years after insulin’s discovery, A&S student Marley Greenberg continues the fight

July 29, 2021 by Cynthia Macdonald - A&S News

Diabetes was once a fatal illness, often within weeks of diagnosis. But on July 30, 1921, the discovery of insulin at University of Toronto would eventually allow millions of people with the condition to lead long and productive lives.

The centenary of this remarkable discovery is especially significant to those who have benefited most from it. One of these is U of T student Marley Greenberg, now entering her final year in health studies and philosophy at the Faculty of Arts & Science as a member of Woodsworth College.

Greenberg was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of eight. She depends on daily insulin to regulate her blood glucose levels, which must be checked multiple times a day. Realizing that many others on campus shared her experience, she and several friends co-founded the first Canadian chapter of the American-based College Diabetes Network (CDN) in 2017.

Headshot of Marley Greenberg
 Diagnosed at the age of eight, Marley Greenberg has worked ever since to represent the concerns of people with diabetes.

“I was in class one day just after starting at U of T and saw someone with a wire or tubing that was sneaking out from under her clothing,” Greenberg recalls. “I couldn’t figure out if it was an iPod or an insulin pump. But after class I approached her and found out that yes, we both had Type 1 diabetes.” After class, the pair bumped into another friend who had the same condition. The trio sat down together, and the idea for a Canadian version of the CDN was born.

Since that day, the network has grown from that core group to over 100 members. “We provide peer support and talk to each other about what’s happening in our lives,” says Greenberg. “We’ll exchange news about technology, or about where to find other types of information.” Members also share supplies, which can be very expensive, and address problems that are more immediate — such as sending each other group texts to make sure students with low blood sugar levels can get snacks delivered to them wherever they happen to be on campus.

This kind of support is critical to students with diabetes, who often feel very much alone. “We go to a doctor maybe four times a year for 20 minutes and learn how to change the settings on insulin pumps or how to change our dosing,” says Greenberg. “But that’s not enough time for us to address all the struggles we face every day.”

This is because diabetes is not just a medical illness: it’s a complex maze of social and financial concerns. Greenberg ticks off just some of the many questions CDN members bring to discussions: “How do I manage my diabetes for exams? What do I do when I’m going to grad school? Where to get supplies in different countries, and how do I deal with health insurance? Do I even have health insurance?”

I came to U of T because of the program. It’s interdisciplinary and holistic, and built on a foundation of looking at the social determinants of health. It asks you to think about health equity — trying to broaden our lens of what health is, and how we can create better interventions to help people. 

This last question is critical, since affordability is a major concern for many of the 11 million Canadians who currently have diabetes or prediabetes. The personal costs involved — not only of insulin but of pumps, needles, swabs, sensors and much more — can amount to $15,000 annually for an insulin-dependent individual who lacks private health insurance.

This is why, since childhood, Greenberg has been a devoted advocate for people with diabetes. From speaking engagements and training volunteers with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, to lobbying federal governments in Ottawa and Washington, to participating in research with Diabetes Action Canada, she has worked tirelessly to represent the interests of her community. The support and encouragement of her mother Dana Greenberg, an A&S alumna who also has Type 1 diabetes, has been critical. “I’ve been so lucky to have my mom and her experience, because I feel like I have 50 years of wisdom to draw on,” Greenberg says. “Most people don’t have someone like that in their lives; they don’t have another person who understands.”

Already an accomplished teenage health crusader, Greenberg saw University College’s health studies program as a perfect next step in her journey.

“I came to U of T because of the program,” she says. “It’s interdisciplinary and holistic, and built on a foundation of looking at the social determinants of health. It asks you to think about health equity — trying to broaden our lens of what health is, and how we can create better interventions to help people.” Greenberg points out that examining health from a social perspective can also stimulate another crucially needed element in our health system: compassion.

My hope is that more people with chronic conditions, not just diabetes, get to have these experiences where you make lemonade out of lemons: you make change, and make things better. 

“A lot of people with chronic conditions experience blame and judgment,” she says. “I would encourage people to try and understand the different ways that illness impacts people’s lives, and to acknowledge that people really are trying their best.”

After graduation, Greenberg sees herself continuing with studies that will further engage her passion for bioethics, law and policy. In the meantime, she will watch as the College Diabetes Network continues to flourish — adding a valuable social dimension to the miraculous medical discovery made at U of T 100 years ago.

“Often people will come to our club and say: this is the first time I’ve met another person with Type 1 diabetes who’s my age. Or, this is the first time I’ve been in a room where people with diabetes are in the majority,” Greenberg says.

“My hope is that more people with chronic conditions, not just diabetes, get to have these experiences where you make lemonade out of lemons: you make change, and make things better.”