Lance Bass has detailed how managing Type 1.5 diabetes has unexpectedly reshaped his approach to fatherhood.
The 47-year-old *NSYNC alum, who married husband Michael Turchin in 2014, penned an open letter for Dexcom’s A Letter to Diabetes campaign ahead of National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day. In it, he traced his health journey from a pandemic-era misdiagnosis to daily life with 5-year-old twins Violet and Alexander.
Bass was originally told he had Type 2 diabetes during the peak of COVID-19. Despite overhauling his lifestyle and taking prescribed medications, his glucose numbers refused to stabilize.
“When you first showed up in my life, I thought I had you figured out,” Bass wrote. “I was told I had Type 2, so I changed my diet, adjusted my medications and rethought my routine. But something still wasn’t adding up.”
After pushing for answers, testing revealed he actually has Type 1.5 diabetes, clinically known as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA). The condition shares characteristics of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and frequently gets mistaken for Type 2 because it develops slowly in adulthood rather than childhood.
“After a lot of questions and advocating for myself, I finally learned the truth: I have Type 1.5 diabetes, or LADA,” Bass explained, joking: “Apparently, even my diabetes needed to be a little different.”
Managing glucose checks and insulin routines has blended into his busy household. “Whether I’m performing, working or chasing two five-year-olds around the house, managing you has become part of my everyday life,” he shared.
The most transformative impact, Bass emphasized, has unfolded in front of his children. Rather than concealing his daily care, he ensures Violet and Alexander witness his routine, framing his health as an organic lesson about self-worth and family care.
“Maybe the most unexpected part of this journey has been how you’ve changed me as a husband and a dad,” Bass wrote. “Violet and Alexander are still young, but they’re watching and learning every day.”
“I hope seeing me take care of myself, ask for help and talk openly about my health teaches them that vulnerability is strength, challenges don’t define us and taking care of ourselves is one of the ways we show love to the people around us.”
Bass acknowledged that the condition introduced an entirely new vocabulary of “glucose numbers, insulin, trend arrows and time in range.” He credited connecting with the wider diabetes community with making the journey manageable, naming fellow advocates Nick Jonas, Rylee Arnold, and Mark Andrews.
Reflecting on silver linings, the singer expressed pride in using his platform to encourage others to question misdiagnoses and advocate for their health.
“So, diabetes, I can’t say I’m glad we met,” Bass concluded. “But you’ve taught me things I never expected, introduced me to some incredible people, and reminded me just how powerful sharing our stories can be. And for that, I can say thank you.”
Bass and Turchin welcomed their twins via surrogate in October 2021. The couple has been open about their path to parenthood, including previous IVF attempts and a surrogate miscarriage.
World Diabetes Day falls on November 14.