Kyle Banks is an actor and vocalist who transformed his unexpected Type 1 diabetes diagnosis into a mission to help underserved communities manage the chronic disease. After being diagnosed while performing in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway in 2015, Banks founded Kyler Cares Foundation in 2020. The organization focuses on improving health outcomes for people of color living with diabetes through access to technology, education, and community support.

What was it like finding out you had diabetes while performing in The Lion King on Broadway and how did you continue performing?

It was a crazy time because receiving a diagnosis like Type 1 diabetes was so unexpected. I was in the best shape of my life, worked out five times a week, and my job was basically a three-hour workout. The onset symptoms were pretty typical but I wasn’t aware of what those symptoms were. The constant urge to urinate, extreme exhaustion, extreme hunger. The thing that really scared me most was losing 30 pounds in three weeks. That sent me to the doctor to find out what was going on.

Can you tell us about Kyler Cares Foundation and what motivated you to found it in 2020?

My experience and tapping into information that could help me manage, especially with performing on Broadway, there was very little information out there. As I began researching how to better care for myself, I learned how this disease was impacting people of color in horrific ways. Many people of color living with this disease develop horrible complications that are avoidable with proper management. To manage Type 1 diabetes, which is very complicated, education and information and connection to other people living with this disease is so important. That was the inspiration for starting Kyler Cares, making sure people had access to the resources available for management.

Why was it important for you to focus on underserved communities and what gaps in care were you seeing?

There are gaps in access to clinical care and gaps in access to the many resources available for management. The technology advancements made in the last few years have been amazing and really help reduce the stress associated with managing Type 1 diabetes. Management of this disease is a 24-hour-a-day thing. There’s no break from it, even while you’re asleep. Incorporating technology like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps really helps support you and reduces the workload and thinking that goes into managing this disease. It frees you up to focus on other things in life because life is full.

I’m a Black man, many of my friends are Black, my family 98% of them are Black. From my connection to many physicians around the country, they’ve been sharing how this disease is impacting their patients of color. I wanted to focus and make sure that the information I was able to tap into, people that look like me can tap into that information as well.

How does the NYC Diabetes Management Crew program work?

I’m so excited about that program. New York City has over 2,500 kids in the school system living with Type 1 diabetes, and the health outcomes are all over the place. Many kids living in the outer boroughs, which happen to be kids of color, are experiencing complications at such a young age. We’re working with the office of School Health, Department of Education, and partnering with school nurses caring for these kids to make sure they and their families can tap into available resources.

Through the program, we offer connection to clinical care, making sure they can access specialty care with endocrinologists for diabetes management. We also offer community development, making sure families can connect with one another and share resources and information. Things as simple as finding a babysitter that can care for a kid with Type 1 diabetes, or what activities can I involve my child in over the summer, or how do I help my child participate in sports activities. We want to instill and build self-confidence with the kids. The disease is highly stigmatized and that stigma keeps many kids from being able to properly care for themselves.

Can you tell us about the “Kyler Bear and Friends” animated series?

Type 1 diabetes is very complicated. It’s one of the only diseases where you receive this diagnosis and then you’re sent off with this dangerous hormone, insulin, and told to figure it out. Through “Kyler Bear and Friends,” we’re able to simplify, especially for kids but also for adults, all the things needed to manage. We use music and storytelling to share these concepts. We also use it as a way to teach kids how to share with their friends what they’re going through and the experience of living with Type 1 diabetes, especially with trusted friend groups. It’s important that kids feel supported and we give them the language needed to do that in an impactful way.

What advice would you give performers trying to pursue their dreams while managing diabetes?

Support is so important because it highlights the fact that you can do whatever you want to do with this disease. Performing with Type 1 and learning how to manage it was definitely a learning curve, but I figured it out by tapping into resources and systems of support, connecting with other people living with it that could share how to manage the high level of activity without having those low glucose episodes.

In the beginning, I would get my glucose really high, dangerously high, in the 400s. Normal glucose is between 70 and 120. I would get mine up to 400, and by the end of the show because of the activity, I would drop down to the low 20s, which could cause people to pass out or have a seizure. Once I tapped into information and support, I’m able to go to work within range. I have techniques like turning off my insulin pump, making sure I have snacks throughout the show, and by the end I have a light meal without insulin.

My doctors weren’t able to help me with that information. It was the community and tapping into people living with the disease already involved in sports that I got the information I needed. That’s why information and connectivity is so important.

For individuals and families seeking diabetes support and resources, Kyler Cares offers comprehensive programs including health insurance navigation, disability assistance, financial aid for technology access, and community meetups across the country.

The foundation also provides educational content through “Kyler Bear and Friends” animated series and upcoming comic books. Those interested in joining the Annual Diabetes Awareness Walk on November 15th in New Orleans or learning more about available programs can visit the Kyler Cares Foundation website or contact them at 359 Columbia St, Hudson, NY 12534.