Dear Year 6 Teachers, 

 

 

My Notable person that I chose to research for the term is Frederick G Banting. Banting was born in Alliston, Canada in 1891, in but obviously didn't make his life saving discovery until 1921 in the University of Toronto. Before Banting and two other scientists discovered insulin, people with diabetes weren't expected to live past one or two years after they were diagnosed. 

 

For many reasons Banting was notable and one of these things was that he was awarded a military cross for 'bravery under fire'. He was serving in the Battle of Cambrai during the first world war. He served under the Canadian Army Medical Corps, but while he was attending to wounded soldiers he was injured and was forced to operate on his own arm to avoid amputation. So not only did he prove his medical skills, but he earned a Military Cross for heroism under fire.  

 

Assuming the definition of notable: "A notable person is someone who has had a positive influence on our lives and humanity", Frederick G Banting fits this perfectly, as he made a life-changing discovery. It is obvious that he would have saved some people's lives, but what is not so obvious is that he directly saved my life. If it was not for him I would probably not be here.  

 

But apart from me he has saved countless other lives of people who also had diabetes. For those of you who don't know already, insulin (the thing that Frederick G Banting and two others discovered) is currently the only known effective treatment for diabetes, and up until 1921 when it was discovered, people with diabetes weren't expected to live past two years after they were diagnosed with the condition. So if you lived more than 100 years ago this year and you had diabetes you basically didn't have any chance of survival. That's right, on July 27, 1921 Frederick G Banting along with his fellow scientists found the only answer that we have today about how to treat diabetes. In short, this one team of scientists saved everyone who has and will have diabetes. 

 

The work that he did on the pancreas lead him to be knighted by King George V for the discovery of insulin. He was knighted in 1934 just a few years after he had received his Nobel Prize and since then was known as Sir Frederick G Banting. 

 

In all, I strongly believe that Frederick G Banting has made a major impact on society and humanity and I hope this piece makes you feel the same. He has achieved some of the greatest feats like helping to save countless lives, being recognized and being awarded a Nobel Prize and getting knighted for it. Not to mention his work in the army and having the honor to receive a military cross. I hope that I have persuaded you that Sir Frederick G Banting was indeed, Notable. 

 

Yours sincerely, 

 

Connor