Our “100 Reasons Why”
This year we celebrate an extraordinary milestone in the history of medicine: the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of insulin. In honor of this anniversary, Sanofi is highlighting “100 Reasons Why” we are grateful for this life-saving medication with a storybook featuring 100 stories from people living with diabetes, caregivers, and people affected by diabetes.
Chapters will be published throughout the year, with each exploring a different way that insulin has allowed people to not just live with diabetes but thrive.
Chapter 1 – “The Day I Was Diagnosed with Diabetes”
The first chapter features 10 first-hand accounts from people living with diabetes on their diagnosis experience. In each story, individuals recount when they were first diagnosed and how the diagnosis ultimately changed their lives.
Chapter 2 – “The Day I Was Diagnosed with Diabetes – Part 2"
The second chapter revisits the diagnosis experience with 10 new stories from people living with diabetes on when they first learned they had the disease. Each story is as unique and inspiring as the people telling them.
Chapter 3 – “Silver Linings: Celebrating the Bright Side of Life with Diabetes”
The third chapter focuses on how people living with diabetes shifted their perspectives to find the silver lining in their disease. In this chapter, 12 people share their personal struggles with their initial diagnosis experience, and how they managed to remain positive despite challenges.
Chapter 4 – “Starting Insulin”
The fourth chapter features stories from 12 people that reflect on their first experiences with insulin. These stories highlight the unique and personal perspective each person living with diabetes has with this life-saving medicine.
Chapter 5 – “Care Partner Perspectives”
The fifth chapter sheds an important light on care partners. In this chapter, nine people reflect on challenges and triumphs they faced in their loved one’s diabetes journey and the significance of insulin in their disease management.
Chapter 6 – “Ode to Insulin: A Collection of Poetry From People With Diabetes”
The sixth chapter includes 15 poems from people living with diabetes, with each poem highlighting the importance of the discovery of insulin. Whether it be a haiku or a longer verse, each poem creatively articulates first-hand accounts with the disease and this life-saving medicine.
Chapter 7 – “The Power of Positive Thinking”
The seventh chapter exemplifies just how powerful a positive attitude can be. In this chapter, twelve individuals share how having a hopeful outlook on a difficult diagnosis can truly impact the way people living with diabetes see themselves and their futures.
Chapter 8 – “Messages to Those Who Discovered Insulin”
The eighth chapter takes a trip back in time to when insulin was first discovered. We hear what 14 individuals would say to the incredible scientists who made that momentous discovery. Each message – while all unique – thanks the scientists whose work truly changed the world for the better.
Chapter 9 – “Messages from Sanofi”
In the ninth and final chapter, members of our Sanofi family reflect on their personal experiences with diabetes and the impact the disease has had on their and their loved one’s lives. As we close out the storybook with this last chapter, we look back at the dozens of stories we’ve heard over the past few months and want to thank everyone for sharing their stories with us.