Diabetes Hits Prime Time

When the doctor ordered Howard Steinberg to the hospital, the 10-year-old had no clue what was going on. He was soon diagnosed with diabetes, but his parents couldn’t bear to break the news to him. On his fourth day there, a nurse walked into his room carrying an orange and a syringe and taught him how to practice injecting, since he’d eventually be doing that to himself.

Feeling awkward and stigmatized, Steinberg kept mum about his disease until five years later at summer camp when his shipment of syringes and insulin had failed to arrive in time. It’s a little hard to hide an illness when you’re being rushed to the emergency room.

No more secrets, he swore back then. Three decades later, Steinberg, now 48, would find himself telling the whole country about his diabetes. He joins the more than 20 million Americans who cope with the disease — and even more who aren’t aware that they’ve got it — along with their families, friends and caregivers. More than 41 million in the U.S. are at risk.

Certainly he wasn’t the only one out there who longed to connect with others who shared his illness. So, in 2004, Steinberg launched “dLife Your Diabetes Life.” The multifaceted venture features a Web site, radio show, newsletters, podcasts, education and outreach tools for professionals, as well as its signature cable television program, dLifeTV.

Over half a million viewers weekly tune in to the prime time national show, which puts the spotlight on diabetes. The talk show is co-hosted by Miss America 1999, Nicole Johnson Baker, who was diagnosed with type I diabetes in 1993. Offering medical advice, personal stories and lifestyle tips, dLifeTV airs every Sunday on CNBC, DirecTV, CoLours TV and The Dish Network.

One show even won a Telly Award. Titled “The Story of Insulin,” it traced the evolution of the miracle drug that has given life to millions of people with diabetes. In “The Eva Saxl Story,” Saxl and her husband tell how they escaped from war-torn Europe during the Holocaust, only to find themselves trapped in then-isolated Shanghai, China — cut off from all shipments of insulin. The resourceful husband figured out how to make the drug himself, not just for his wife but also for others with diabetes living in Shanghai at the time.

Upcoming programs feature television celebrities with diabetes, such as Delta Burke, star of “Designing Women;” Eric Chopin, winner of “The Biggest Loser;” and Chris Matthews of “Hardball.” In a “Real People Real Stories” segment, a woman truck driver invites dLifeTV into her rig to see how she deals with the disease on the road. You’ll also find out about Asheville, N.C.’s The Asheville Project, which gives free diabetes medicines to eligible individuals.

“dLife is a special community where people come to be inspired, informed and connected to others,” says Paula Ford-Martin, editor-in-chief. “It’s been hugely successful in making our viewers feel like they’re not alone.

“This sense of connection may be especially critical for the homebound, many of whom may not have access to interacting with others who have diabetes, in an emotionally supportive environment.”

But it isn’t just people with diabetes and those who love and care for them who turn on their televisions to watch dLifeTV. Diabetes educators and members of diabetes support groups also tune in, using the program’s material as a catalyst for discussion.

“dLife has helped raise awareness of diabetes for people with the disease, and their families and friends, dispelling many of its myths,” says Ford-Martin. “Just as important, our members tell us that they feel better about themselves — and that they can take control of their lives.”