Each year, Jack Little injects himself with insulin more than 1,400 times.

Despite the 100,000 plus insulin injections Little has given himself in the last 70 years, doctors have diagnosed him as an optimist.

“I have an optimistic point of view,” Little said. “My cup is always more than half full.”

Little, who turned 85 on Friday, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 15. A self-described “stubborn Scotchman,” he has not only battled the disease for 70 years, but has volunteered for the American Diabetes Association and has committed to donating his body to Mayo Clinic when he passes away.

According to Little’s daughter, Mary Hansen, he has been “proactive in research and promoting his disease,” even allowing the University of Minnesota to test laser treatments on one of his eyes in the 1970s.

“My wife and I have both donated our bodies to Mayo for research,” Little said. “Maybe they can find something out about diabetes from me.”

But playing one of the key roles in his fight against diabetes, according to Little, is his wife, Elaine Little. The two have been married 60 years as of Aug. 1, and Elaine has helped Jack stick to a proper diet and daily routine so he doesn’t become hypoglycemic, which means his blood sugar is low.

“I have a spouse that understands and is able to do what is necessary,” he said.

“She’s very in tune to when (he’s hypoglycemic),” Hansen added.

Little said he becomes incoherent and breaks into sweats when his blood sugar is too low. If he doesn’t raise his blood sugars by taking a shot of glucose or eating a few gum drops, he could be in danger. Luckily, although Little has had his fair share of hypoglycemic episodes, he has managed to keep his blood sugars relatively balanced over the years.

One of Little’s more serious attacks was caused by having blood sugar that was too high. This is called a diabetic coma.

“The coma is probably more deadly than the instant reaction (hypoglycemia),” Little said. “With the technology today, it would be somewhat rare to be in a coma, but it does happen if you’re not alert to these things.

“That’s why having an empathetic spouse is vital.”

Despite struggling with the occasional low blood sugar attack, Hansen said her dad is lucky to still have all of his limbs and be able to walk, even if he needs to use a scooter occasionally.

Since diabetic patients’ wounds don’t heal as quickly as most wounds, some with the disease end up needing appendages amputated. Some also lose feeling in their fingers and toes, which is something Little has had to cope with in recent years.

“You lose the acute sensitivity,” he said. “I lost my touch, literally.”

Both Elaine and Jack spoke of the differences in treatment methods between now and when Jack was first diagnosed 70 years ago. Insulin had only existed about 25 years when Jack was diagnosed, but now, every morning, he injects a long-lasting insulin, something that is relatively new to medicine. He has to inject booster doses at every meal throughout the day, too.

“They’ve made very good progress on this,” Elaine said. “The modern research has just saved lives.”

And Hansen is thankful that modern research has saved her dad’s life.

“He’s just a walking miracle,” Hansen said. “It’s all about relationships and partnerships, and they’ve been blessed with very knowledgeable doctors.”

“It’s life, love and longevity,” Hansen added.