DEDICATING 25 years of her life to helping diabetes sufferers, Gloria Daniels said the true heroes were the families and carers. A diabetes clinical nurse consultant at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Ms Daniels said her role at the hospital was mostly acting as a comfort to her patients.

``Many of the patients who come to Sir Charles Gairdner are quite overwhelmed and devastated by the complications (of diabetes) - like it's the end of their life — and it has a ripple effect within the whole family,'' Ms Daniels said.

``Diabetes can affect everything from the top of your head down to your big toe. Sometimes I'm just there to give the patient hope. I say, `There's always something we can do for you, don't give up'.

``It sounds simple, but it's not.''

But it is her work outside the hospital for which SCGH nominated her for The Sunday Times Pride of Australia Care and Compassion medal.

For more than a year, Ms Daniels has been educating nurses about diabetes at Marr Mooditj Aboriginal nursing college in Bentley.

``Last February an email was sent out to all the Australian diabetes educators in WA and it asked if anyone would be interested in helping out at Marr Mooditj,'' Ms Daniels said.

``I looked at it and just flicked it away, thinking that's not for me.Four or five weeks later another email came saying no one had applied and they were desperate.

``So in my madness I returned, in size two font, an email saying I had never worked with Aborigines, but I did know about diabetes.''

She was asked to start at the nursing school the following week.

``There's an emphasis on (diabetes at Marr Mooditj) because of the epidemic among Aborigines.

``Diabetes is a huge problem and more skilled people need to take on the role of teaching Aboriginal nurses, doctors and health workers about this condition so they could transfer those skills to their own people.''

Ms Daniels also took the initiative to identify carers looking after diabetic intellectually handicapped patients within the hospital almost 12 years ago and gave them information on managing the disease.

An SCGH spokesman said Ms Daniels' work had been hugely successful in reducing the number of these patients needing hospital admission.

Department of Health director-general Peter Flett praised Ms Daniels' dedicated efforts.

``Gloria is one of the thousands of unsung heroes working at WA Health who have devoted their lives to improving the lives of their fellow West Australians,'' he said.

Reprinted from News.com.au/PerthNow