‘68 Whiskey’ Star Derek Theler Tells Us About His New Partnership
68 Whiskey star Derek Theler chatted with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about his latest partnership with the makers of the Sharps and Needle Destruction Device (SANDD™). Theler, who has had diabetes since he was a child, spoke to us about his crusade to help patients and their families stay safe.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet: What prompted you to partner with SANDD?
Derek Theler: When I first heard about SANDD I was really impressed with how the device can improve the health and safety of people’s everyday lives and have a great environmental impact. Loose sharp needles are currently a crisis in our world, as used needles are littering many of our major cities.
The SANDD makes it possible to incinerate needle points so they are dulled and can be thrown away rather than put in a sharps container, and can no longer accidentally stick people. As a type 1 diabetic I’ve been dealing with needles for a long time and I’m excited to be part of an organization that can help my fellow T1Ds and the environment.
CS: Where can consumers purchase these devices?
DT: At this time consumers can purchase the SANDD at NoMoreSharps.com. For every SANDD device sold, $10 will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which I’m also very proud of.
CS: What was your life like growing up with diabetes? What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
DT: Diabetes is a challenging disease, not just for the person diagnosed but their entire family. My sister and I were both diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three, but no one else in our family had T1D. We grew up with added challenges and responsibilities that other kids didn’t have to deal with. We couldn’t go to sleepovers, have birthday cake, and we had to constantly monitor our blood glucose levels. My parents would come into our rooms every hour while we were sleeping to test our glucose levels with a finger prick test.
One of the biggest obstacles was that being a type 1 diabetic was very isolating. There wasn’t anyone in the public eye who spoke openly about the hardships of growing up diabetes, and it can be very scary. My sister and I stuck together and tried to learn as much as we could about our bodies and how to stay healthy. I remember when I was very young, I vowed to do whatever I could to improve the lives of other kids with type 1 diabetes, and that continues to be a life mission of mine.
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