Ms Noy, a teenager at the time, did not care for the advice. But it turned out to be true.

“She said, if you want to live a healthy and long life you must stick with your diet, exercise and be sensible in what you do,” Ms Noy said.

“I dodged her every time I saw her. There were those big, long hospital wards at the time, too.”

Ms Noy earned a Kellion Victory Medal this past week for living with type one diabetes for 70 years. Diabetes Australia awarded Ms Noy a platinum medallion in a special ceremony for National Diabetes Week.

Exercise is the key to her success. Ms Noy, 84, loves to walk and can tell a physical difference on days she doesn’t.

Diet has been important too. Growing up, Ms Noy’s family relied on her dad’s veggie patch and, if she was lucky, she might get a sixpence to spend on lollies.

The initial diagnosis was scary for Ms Noy. She had never been to a doctor before, let alone a hospital where she spent one month settling her condition and her only contact allowed from the outside world was an hour’s visit each day with her parents.

“I’d had measles and mumps before, but you just stayed in bed a couple of days, had a holiday from school, until you got over it,” Ms Noy said. “I was diagnosed the week before Christmas, and devastated because I couldn’t eat any Christmas pudding. I went in to hospital before New Year. I suppose, being a teenager, my biggest problem was in not complying.”

Managing her condition meant a series of needles “like crowbars” boiled for sterilisation, and weighing portions on miniature scales.

Ms Noy adapted and soon learnt to tune in to how her body was feeling to guide her – this helped a lot for going to countless dances with her friends when younger.

The best advice Ms Noy can pass on to anyone is to stay active for good health. Doctors tell her this has been her key to avoiding complications from diabetes.