When was insulin invented? When Calls the Heart’s heartbreaking shocking storyline explained

Brace yourselves – When Calls the Heart Season 12 has just taken a very dark turn. Little Jack’s life is now in danger, but so is the historical continuity of the show if he gets insulin.

At the end of Season 12 Episode 10, fans saw something truly heartbreaking. Local boys run into town to share Little Jack has “disappeared” into the woods while playing ball. Soon the whole town is trying to find him, with Nathan finding him collapsed in a bush. He’s still breathing, but they rush him to the hospital.

Faith wants to run tests, with Elizabeth saying he’s always hungry and thirsty. Faith tells Mei dehydration is the “best explanation,” but doesn’t want to rule out diabetes. At home, Little Jack tells Elizabeth he sometimes gets dizzy. Faith gets the results back, later meeting with Elizabeth and Nathan to tell her the worst – he does indeed have diabetes. At this stage in time, there’s no cure, leaving the pair distraught.

We’ve got some idea of what’s to come in When Calls the Heart thanks to sneak previews (more on that later), but if Hallmark wants Jack to survive, they’re going to need to completely rewrite the history of insulin.

When was insulin invented?

On July 27, 1921, Canadian surgeon Dr. Frederick Banting and medical student Charles Best successfully isolated the hormone insulin for the first time.

The research happened at the University of Toronto, where Banting and Best “successfully isolated insulin from dogs, produced diabetes symptoms in the animals, and then provided insulin injections that produced normal blood glucose levels.”

So far, so good. The breakthrough science is happening in Canada, which just happens to be in the same country as Hope Valley. Nothing too unfeasible there.

Here’s the bit you need to take notice of. On January 11, 1922, 14-year-old Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive an insulin injection as treatment for diabetes. He immediately had an allergic reaction, resulting in a refined process developed to improve the cow pancreas, which was where the insulin was taken from.

Thankfully, a second dose was administered 12 days later, with Leonard’s diabetes drastically improving. This was the moment the world knew diabetes was a condition that could be managed.

That’s all you need to know without having an extensive science lesson. It’s not Leonard’s fantastic recovery that’s important, but more the scientific timeline that doesn’t match up with the fictional one.

When Calls the Heart’s diabetes storyline could already have problems

Here’s the thing. When Calls the Heart Season 12 is most likely set in 1921 (it’s never been explicitly confirmed), and it’s likely the year is still somewhere before July based on the seasons seen in the show. This means while Elizabeth and Nathan are being told Jack can be put forward for insulin trials, they didn’t even begin in real life until the following year.

Hallmark

It’s also worth bearing in mind insulin didn’t publicly become available until 1923. If Little Jack really was a six-year-old boy from rural Canada in 1921, he’d be absolutely shafted.

Let’s break this down. Typically, one season of When Calls the Heart covers a whole year, though that doesn’t necessarily mean we see every single month in said year covered on screen. Based on the storylines we’re seeing at the moment – McGinty’s threats, the Garrison gang, Allie and Oliver’s relationship – it feels as though spring has sprung in Hope Valley, not summer. People are still wearing heavy coats, for God’s sake.

If this is correct, insulin hasn’t even been invented by the time Jack’s diabetes diagnosis is confirmed. However, Hallmark isn’t paying too much attention to this. Check out a sneak preview for Episode 11:

In the clip, Faith and Mei essentially tell Elizabeth and Nathan that Jack’s only hope is to be put forward for “risky” medical trials using isolated insulin. There’s no guarantee it will work, but the couple is keen to do whatever it takes.

Let’s be real – this wouldn’t be an option at all in 1921, let alone for a village that’s almost cut off from the rest of the world. Leonard was our first trial in 1922, and he’s eight years older than Jack. Faith says the current trial doctors are working on is for adults, but they’re “prepared to make an exception” for Jack. Of course, there were no administered treatments or trials during this same time period.

For Hearties who like things to stay true to life, this might be one step too far. Little Jack’s shock health scare might make a great case for a Season 13 renewal, but it doesn’t make much sense at all.

Fans aren’t too taken with it either

This is all assuming fans are even enjoying the storyline anyway, with first reactions suggesting that it isn’t exactly going down well.

Hallmark

“As a parent of a kid with type 1 diabetes, my wife and I are very skeptical of this plot and storyline. 1922 was the year insulin was created, what year is this show set in?” one fan posted on Reddit.

A second weighed in, “If they’re going forward with the illness story for LJ, I feel bad for the poor kid. And he’s not even real. Nathan already has the self-imposed burden of keeping Elizabeth and LJ safe, due to his guilt over Jack’s death. Now, he has to bear the guilt of being there while LJ is sick, when his father is not. If this is legitimate storytelling going forward, it’s a fair analysis.”

For others, it’s just all going to be far too emotional to deal with. A third added on YouTube, “Oh my goodness… I can’t even get through this short clip without tearing up! I’m gonna be a blubbering mess next week.”

A fourth weighed in, “With all hope and prayers, Little Jack will pull through. Nathan will be beside Elizabeth and Little Jack the whole time. Hope this will bring Dr. Carson back. THEY NEED ALL THE PRAYERS THEY CAN GET.”

When Calls the Heart Season 12 is airing weekly on the Hallmark channel. Catch up with its episode release schedule and how to watch outside of the US. You can also check out the best Hallmark TV shows of all time.

For similar vibes, check out Virgin River Season 7, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, and shows if you like Virgin River.