The 21-year-old Dunedin nurse was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 12.
In the early days his treatment consisted of frequent and painful finger pricking to measure his blood glucose levels, and insulin injections up to five times a day.
But he said he was one of "the fortunate" who was later able to pay for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and an insulin pump, neither of which were funded by Pharmac.
CGMs are small patches with a fine filament that goes under the skin and measures how much glucose is in the blood.
Insulin pumps are devices with a small cannula that can deliver insulin under the skin.
The insulin pump itself costs about $10,000, and the insulin and CGMs cost up to $5000 a year.
"I was in a position where I could afford it, but it stretched me.
"I started working jobs when I was 15. I had to put other things aside so that I could afford it.
"I did it because I wanted to put my health first and foremost ahead of everything else."
The equipment had a huge impact in terms of being able to control his diabetes.
"It was absolutely life-changing.
"It was more discrete and it meant physically less needles, as opposed to injecting myself four to five times a day."
More recently, the technology had advanced to the point where the CGMs could be linked with the insulin pump, and when blood glucose levels rose too high, it could send a message to the pump asking it to deliver more insulin.
Effectively, the new technology is an artificial pancreas, which provides better controlled blood glucose levels.
"Currently, it’s the closest you can get to living ‘normally’."
Pharmac’s decision to fund the equipment had been a long time coming, he said.
"If you’re going to put a title on this, it’s a breakthrough for diabetes equity.
"Other countries have already publicly funded it, but we’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting.
"As a nurse I’ve worked in diabetes clinics and seen people ask how they can get a prescription for this equipment, and I’ve had to tell them, ‘sorry, it’s not funded’.
"People who should be on it, but were not able to access it — it was heart-wrenching.
"It’s so good to see everyone is getting access to this health technology now."
It was very cost effective because if everyone had well-controlled diabetes, they would not have serious health complications further down the track that would burden the health system.
University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine diabetes specialist and Dunedin Hospital paediatric endocrinologist Prof Ben Wheeler said the funding was momentous.
"It’s fantastic news.
"It’s the culmination of numerous individuals, organisations and healthcare providers who have been advocating for this for many, many years.
"It’s long overdue.
"It empowers people living with diabetes to live healthier.
"For most people, the announcement will be met with enormous celebration and cost savings."
The funding meant CGMs would now be available to 20,000-25,000 New Zealanders with type 1 diabetes, and about 12,000 people would have access to funded insulin pumps.
The equipment will be funded from October 1, 2024.
