A Taylors Lakes man has been recognised for his leadership in promoting a healthy life in the face of adversity.
Bradley McDougall was presented with the Kellion Victory Medal earlier this month for his ability to live a well life with diabetes for half a century.
Mr McDougall was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was two and a half years old and said it’s played a role in shaping the man he is today.
“Living with diabetes is a challenge. You can succumb to having it dictate life terms to you or you can overcome and strive to be all that you want to become,” he said.
“Diabetes is just another thing to manage in life but doing so equips you with amazing character.”
He credited his mother, June, for setting the tone for a healthy life.
“She ensured my adolescent care until I was able to take over m y own care as a teenager,” he said.
Living with diabetes for more than 50 years, Mr McDougall has seen many innovations in management and treatment techniques over the decades.
He says the implementation of blood glucose meters for home use has made the biggest impact – even though his first meter was the size of an iPad.
Despite the obstacles, Mr McDougall hasn’t let diabetes stand in the way of achieving lifelong goals.
He achieved his dream of becoming an aircraft maintenance engineer and in doing so became the first person with type 1 diabetes to join the Victorian Air Training Corps, a cadet program of the Australian Defence Force.
