A long-time television presenter and media personality with roots in northern Ontario is backing a global campaign seeking to raise awareness of diabetes stigma.
Kevin Frankish got his degree at Canadore College in radio and television broadcasting and began his career at CKNY in North Bay. He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes less than a decade ago and is now part of Abbott’s Above the Bias campaign.
Frankish said he became involved in the campaign because many people have heard hurtful comments about their condition.
“This whole campaign is about saying, ‘no, you don’t deserve this. You deserve much better,’” he said.
The campaign includes a short film and some statistics.
According to Abbott’s survey, one in three Canadians living with diabetes has skipped or missed a doctor’s appointment due to shame and stigma.
Additionally, 74 per cent of Canadians with diabetes said their condition has had a negative impact on their mental health.
Laura Syron, Diabetes Canada president and CEO, lives with Type 2 diabetes. She used to feel embarrassed by her diagnosis.
“I really had a hard time,” Syron said.
“I wasn’t even sure I was going to tell my husband, that I had it and I got over it … It took me a long time to tell friends and family.”
She recalled an experience where she was stigmatized after divulging her diagnosis to a friend.
“The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘You mean the one that’s genetic or the one you gave yourself?’” she said.
“I just sat there, and I thought, ‘Well, this didn’t go so well.’”
Syron said fear of being stigmatized is a sentiment shared by many who live with diabetes.
She said she’s heard of comments mocking the condition, stating it’s a product of lifestyle decisions or that diabetics can’t eat sugary foods.
“I think one common thing is you gave it to yourself,” Syron said.
“The second thing, and I think this is particularly true for people with type 1 diabetes, there’s a lot of things you can’t do,” she said.
“We do hear people say, at work, I don’t tell people I have type 1 because I’m afraid they’ll think I can’t do my job right.”
Diabetes Canada conducted a survey in 2024, surveying 2,000 people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes aged 18 and older.
“Ninety per cent of people with type 1 in that survey said they’d felt ashamed and blamed and 70 per cent of people with type 2,” she said.
“Diabetes stigma is real.”
Syron said the end result is people don’t get the help they need.
“If someone feels like I’m going to be judged, then they won’t reach out for support,” she said.
“If it’s not managed well, there are serious complications.”
Syron said living in northern Ontario can present unique challenges, such as limited access to an endocrinologist.
“In Toronto, if you get diagnosed with type 1, the chances that you’re going to be able to find an endocrinologist are pretty good,” she said.
“If you’re up in northern Ontario, if you’re in Newfoundland, if you’re in northern Manitoba, it’s harder, right?”
She said helping to address the bias begins at a health-care level.
“People who live with diabetes, like myself, you know, need to be able to feel comfortable bringing stuff up,” she said.
“For example, a big change is when I got my doctor, the first thing my doctor said to me was, ‘It’s not your fault.” I cannot tell you the power of those words."
Additionally, she said it’s important for loved ones to ask questions. The survey also found 74 per cent of Canadians with the condition also say that supportive comments from others can greatly enhance their motivation to manage diabetes.
“If you know someone, you can say, ‘I’m always here if you want an ear,’ or even ‘I don’t know a lot about it,” she said.
“Maybe I’ve been going about it the wrong way. Is there a different way that we might want to talk about that? It sounds, easy and it sounds simple, but it’s really not.”
Frankish said ultimately, he helps the campaign by showing people that they’re not alone.
“Not only will people be educated about how they talk to people or treat people who have diabetes,” he said.
“At the same time, people with diabetes can realize, ‘OK, I’m not alone.’”
