A new twist on an experimental procedure to help diabetics could be improving care.

One of the greatest joys in Pam Dallmann's life is sharing a bowl of ice cream with her husband, Bill.

Sweets were off limits since her diabetes diagnosis at age six. Since then, Pam has lost her job, her driver's license and her vision in one eye. She's suffered many low blood sugar episodes.

"People would come in… and find me passed out on the floor," said Pam.

She checked her blood sugar day and night until she has an islet cell transplant.

Diabetics Getting Rid Of Insulin

"The day that I was told that I didn't have to get up every two hours to check my blood sugar I went 'Yahoo!'" she said.

Islets are cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. They're destroyed in people with type one diabetes unless they get a transplant. That's where donor cells are infused in the liver.

"Literally the minute the islets are infused, the problem is eliminated," said Dr. Bernhard Hering of the University of Minnesota.

To get enough cells, a standard islet transplant involves using multiple deceased donors which can be costly, risky and impractical. With so few donors it would be impossible to treat everyone with the disease. But now, Dr. Hering is experimenting with using a single donor. It means fewer cells, but it's worked in the first eight patients.

"Islet cells can reverse diabetes not only for weeks and months but possibly for a lifetime," said Dr. Hering.

Today, Pam is insulin-free and life has never been sweeter.

The most recent data shows all eight out of eight patients were still insulin-free after one year of having the transplant.

Researchers in Japan are studying the procedure with living donors, which could make islet transplants available to even more patients.