50 year medal sounds good 52 years for me, Makes me want to move back to the UK, Not really, may be someone in France will tell me there is a fifty year medal here in France, still its nice to get medal
You can get a medal from Joslin in the USA, Criteria to qualify I have extracted from the application form to help you.
Since 1970, Joslin Diabetes Center has also awarded a 50-year bronze medal and certificate to recognize the remarkable achievement of a successful life with insulin-dependent diabetes for half a century or more.
The only physical qualification for these awards is living with insulin-dependent diabetes for the specified number of years. Documentation of an applicant’s date of diagnosis of diabetes or date of beginning of insulin treatment is required. We suggest one of the following forms of documentation for the certificate or medal candidate:
Preferred Documentation
• Photocopy of discharge summary from the hospital where insulin treatment began or photocopy of a current medical record that states the date of diabetes diagnosis. Applicants* can request this information from the Medical Records department of the hospital where they were treated. Quite often, records of admission from so long ago have been destroyed. In this case, ask if the hospital has index cards on file with the same type information. These cards often document the name of the patient, address, dates of admission, diagnosis and sometimes also insulin treatment. A photocopy of this type of card is acceptable documentation. *Please note that due to patient privacy laws, if the person requesting the medical records is not the patient him/herself, an “Authorization for Release of Personal Health Information Form” signed by the patient is required.
Alternate Documentation (choose one of the following)
• A letter from the physician who started the applicant on insulin at diagnosis (letter should include dates) or a letter from an associate who has carried on the original physician’s practice (provided that the associate has access to the original files).
• If the applicant kept a diary of urine and blood tests, diet, insulin, etc. during the early stages of insulin treatment, photocopies of these dated records are acceptable documentation. Dated baby books kept by the applicant’s parents may also be acceptable.
• A letter from the applicant’s current endocrinologist verifying longevity of diabetes diagnosis.
• Letters of recommendation from three of the applicant’s relatives or friends (usually people older than or the same age as the applicant) who can recall the onset of the applicant’s diabetes and insulin treatment. When possible, letters should include references to family and/or local or national events that occurred around the same time to confirm the date in question.
In addition to providing documentation, please complete and return the enclosed application. All correspondence, including the completed application and documentation from any of the above sources, should be mailed to: Joslin Diabetes Center, Medalist Program – Rm 359, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215. Contact the office at (617) 309-2750, or via e-mail at
[email protected] if you have any questions.
E-mail:
[email protected]
Website:
www.joslin.org/medalist
