New podcast series launching this week will feature people with diabetes
from across the country to build a community of support
for those who manage the chronic illness
NASHVILLE – Country music star Eric Paslay is launching his first ever podcast this week to create a community and voice for people who manage diabetes. As someone who lives with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), Paslay understands the challenges that come with managing the chronic auto-immune disease, and he hopes his podcast can provide an outlet for others like him to share their personal diabetes story.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to share really great stories about life with Type 1 diabetes and promote comradery with other diabetics,” Paslay said. “I believe in the importance of talking about things in our lives, because the more we talk about it, the closer we get to the truth.”
Each episode of the podcast, “Level with Me,” visits the hometown of someone from across the country who has a unique T1D story to share. The first half takes listeners to that person’s hometown to provide a peek inside their daily life, while the second half is a one-on-one interview with Eric to take a deeper dive into their diabetes journey.
Podcast Schedule:
- Week of May 20 – Episode 1 features Colleen Rinehart from Pickerington, OH, a nurse, nutrition enthusiast, marathon runner, wife and mother of two young boys. Her optimism allows her to accomplish just about anything, and she refuses to let her T1D get in the way of living a fulfilled life.
- Week of May 27 – Episode 2 shares the story of exercise enthusiast John Boyer from Mt. Airy, MD, whose mission is to show kids with T1D that nothing is impossible with diabetes. Through a T1D youth camp, Boyer encourages kids to become physically active while being part of a supportive community of others like them who experience similar challenges.
- Week of June 3 – Episode 3 features 11-year old from Franklin, VA, Abbie Eger and her mother, Julie Eger. Abby was diagnosed with T1D at just 9 years old, and through the loving support of her mother, she has been able to be virtually independent when it comes to managing her diabetes.
- Week of June 10 – Episode 4 unveils the heartwarming story of mother-daughter duo Keary and Zola Cheney from San Diego, CA. Keary was diagnosed with T1D after experiencing severe symptoms during a trip to Uganda with her husband to adopt their son, Oliver. After recovering in the U.S. and returning to Uganda to retrieve Oliver, they learned of Zola, who also has T1D and was looking for a foster home. The two made the decision to welcome her into their family along with Oliver, and today the family lives a positive, joyful life.
- Week of June 17 – Episode 5 reveals the journey of “Level with Me” host Eric Paslay through a one-on-one interview with his wife, Natalie Paslay. Eric shares the details of how T1D affects life on the road and how glucose monitoring technology has made life easier by allowing Natalie to monitor Eric’s glucose levels when he’s unable to.
The new podcast series is developed in partnership with Dexcom, the leader in continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes. Paslay and Dexcom have been working together for over three years to help people with diabetes better manage the disease.
“Level with Me” is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher beginning the week of May 20. Listeners can also tune here to hear the podcasts and find out more information about “Level with Me.”