Today is the 60th anniversary of the historic game when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, changing the world of sports forever.

However, those of us who live with diabetes in our families have another reason to remember Jackie. He was a type 1 diabetic who died of a heart attack at age 53, nearly blind because of diabetic retinapathy, and suffering from other diabetic complications. This is not something that is usually mentioned when people speak of Jackie Robinson, but he was also one of the first people with type 1 diabetes to play major league baseball.

So for many reasons, Jackie Robinson is a hero and a role model. Here’s hoping for the day when both of the issues he handled with honor and grace–racial discrimination and diabetes–are eliminated from the face of the earth.