Ralph Winkler has composed numerous pieces throughout his career, but he never expected that one of his most beloved songs would stem from a deeply difficult moment in his family's life.
In 2023, Ralph, 58, from Heerlen, Netherlands, and his wife Angeles faced a terrifying ordeal when they had to rush their teenage son, Mikk, to the hospital. It was there they received the life-changing news: Mikk had type 1 diabetes.
Ralph recalls the days that followed as an emotional whirlwind. The family was quickly immersed in learning how to manage the condition, with hospital staff guiding them through monitoring blood sugar levels and showing Mikk how to administer his own insulin.
“It hit him really hard,” Ralph shared. “He kept asking, ‘Why me?’ We wanted him to know he wouldn’t go through this alone—we were in it together.”
Amid the emotional toll of adapting to Mikk’s diagnosis, Ralph turned to music as an outlet for his feelings. The result was a heartfelt song titled Wind Underneath Your Wings, written as a tribute to his son’s courage and the helplessness many parents feel when their child is faced with a serious health issue.
The track has since become one of Ralph’s most-streamed works, accumulating over 18,000 plays on Spotify. Its positive reception, especially within the local diabetes community, inspired Mikk and Angeles to launch the Winkler Wings Foundation. The foundation aims to spread awareness of type 1 diabetes and raise funds to support others living with the condition, with proceeds from the song contributing to its mission.
In November, the foundation organized its first fundraising festival, collecting over €4,000 for Diabetes+, a Dutch diabetes support organization.
Mikk is now doing well, thanks in part to his Medtronic MiniMed™ 780G insulin pump, which automatically regulates his insulin levels to help keep his blood sugar in check. He affectionately refers to the device as his “best friend.”
“It’s really changed my life,” Mikk said. “I feel much more free. I can go out and do so much more.”
For Ralph and Angeles, the device has brought peace of mind. It has also given Ralph a renewed appreciation for his role at Medtronic, where he works on translating user manuals—including for the same pump that supports his son.
“This whole journey helped me see my work from the perspective of someone directly affected,” Ralph said. “It’s made it even clearer how our efforts at Medtronic truly impact lives around the world.”
In 2023, Ralph, 58, from Heerlen, Netherlands, and his wife Angeles faced a terrifying ordeal when they had to rush their teenage son, Mikk, to the hospital. It was there they received the life-changing news: Mikk had type 1 diabetes.
Ralph recalls the days that followed as an emotional whirlwind. The family was quickly immersed in learning how to manage the condition, with hospital staff guiding them through monitoring blood sugar levels and showing Mikk how to administer his own insulin.
“It hit him really hard,” Ralph shared. “He kept asking, ‘Why me?’ We wanted him to know he wouldn’t go through this alone—we were in it together.”
Amid the emotional toll of adapting to Mikk’s diagnosis, Ralph turned to music as an outlet for his feelings. The result was a heartfelt song titled Wind Underneath Your Wings, written as a tribute to his son’s courage and the helplessness many parents feel when their child is faced with a serious health issue.
The track has since become one of Ralph’s most-streamed works, accumulating over 18,000 plays on Spotify. Its positive reception, especially within the local diabetes community, inspired Mikk and Angeles to launch the Winkler Wings Foundation. The foundation aims to spread awareness of type 1 diabetes and raise funds to support others living with the condition, with proceeds from the song contributing to its mission.
In November, the foundation organized its first fundraising festival, collecting over €4,000 for Diabetes+, a Dutch diabetes support organization.
Mikk is now doing well, thanks in part to his Medtronic MiniMed™ 780G insulin pump, which automatically regulates his insulin levels to help keep his blood sugar in check. He affectionately refers to the device as his “best friend.”
“It’s really changed my life,” Mikk said. “I feel much more free. I can go out and do so much more.”
For Ralph and Angeles, the device has brought peace of mind. It has also given Ralph a renewed appreciation for his role at Medtronic, where he works on translating user manuals—including for the same pump that supports his son.
“This whole journey helped me see my work from the perspective of someone directly affected,” Ralph said. “It’s made it even clearer how our efforts at Medtronic truly impact lives around the world.”