Brion Whitford is an Ojibway who lives with advanced diabetes. In 2001, complications from the disease left him with only 50 percent kidney function and blood sugar levels that were spiralling out of control. Raised in the city, Brion grew up without knowing his culture or heritage. Consequently, he had little faith in traditional Native medicine and healing. But the more Brion's health deteriorated, the deeper his interest grew in connecting with his own culture and traditions. The Gift of Diabetes follows Brion's struggle to regain his health by learning about his heritage. His journey is a moving account of a man coming to terms with his own mortality, while trying to re-establish balance in his life.