Because of her paralyzing fear of needles, a British patient let her health decline to the point where a pancreas transplant was necessary to save her life.

According to the Medical Daily, a health and science news outlet, Sue York was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was seven. Now 51, York's ability to manager her condition was seriously compromised due to her aversion to needles. Her condition required two injections per day. Some days, she just had to walk away from the needle. But when the UK enacted legislation in 2012 requiring diabetics like York to test her blood glucose level before driving, and every two hours thereafter, she asked to be put on the transplant list.

York's transplant, conducted in January, makes her the world's first pancreas transplant required because of needle phobia.

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[Editor's note: Phlebotomy Today-STAT! subscribers are urged to exercise an abundance of compassion and understanding towards all patients with an aversion to needles. Because all it takes is one negative needle experience to turn patients like Sue York into transplant patients, phobic-friendly phlebotomists play a pivotal role in preventing aversions from becoming full-blown phobias. Listen to my podcast with needle-phobia expert, Dr. Amy Baxter.]