“We thought the bottom had fallen out of our world,” Mrs Pitman said.

“We knew little about diabetes at the time and wondered if we could still have children.”

Now, the 73-year-old has been recognised for living with diabetes for five decades.

“It’s actually 51 years, but the hospital where he was diagnosed in Caulfield no longer exists and so there are no records,” Mrs Pitman said.

“He joined Diabetes Australia the following year and so that was the only record we had.”

Mr Pitman was presented with the Kellion Victory Medal yesterday, an honour presented to those who have lived with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years or more.

The medal was named in honour of the late Claude Kellion, a Sydney businessman who established a foundation to promote diabetes research after his son died aged 38 from diabetes complications.

Since 1984, more than 1000 people have received one of the medals in Australia.

Mr Pitman, a Westmont Aged Care resident, receives four insulin injections a day and has never suffered any diabetes complications, but was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2007 and has trouble communicating.

However, diabetes was responsible for taking his brother’s life about 30 years ago.

“This medal is an achievement and I hope it can be an encouragement to other diabetics struggling and those who are newly diagnosed,” Mrs Pitman said.

Mr Pitman’s diabetes nurse educator, Rebecca Humphreys, presented the award on behalf of Diabetes Victoria.