Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes
Episode #1657: Bain’s Mom Marlee (TikTok) - Part 2
Air Date: October 20, 2025
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Marlee (mom of Bain, a toddler with Type 1 Diabetes, known from TikTok/Instagram)
Overview
This episode continues Scott Benner’s candid conversation with Marlee, whose viral TikTok content chronicles daily life with her young son Bain, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 15 months old. Together, they discuss the realities, misconceptions, and advocacy work involved in sharing their stories online. Marlee details her motivations, addresses critics, and provides insight into the social and financial realities of being a parent-influencer in the diabetes community. This episode dives into community, representation, social media myths, parenting, and the realities of diabetes management for families.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Sharing a Child’s Life Online: Privacy, Advocacy, and Boundaries
-
Marlee’s motivation: Not about followers or fame, but initially sharing her son’s experience to explain to friends why her life had changed so drastically. She remains committed to Bain’s privacy, refusing to share sensitive health information, and will respect his wishes if he wants the content taken down in the future.
- Quote (Marlee, 03:47): “If he ever tells me, like, I hate this, I hate that you did this, I will, you know, apologize to him. I will take anything down that he wants.”
-
Role of storytelling for understanding and inclusion
- Marlee feels that sharing Bain’s story educates those outside the diabetes community and helps make the world a safer place when people encounter her son.
- Quote (Marlee, 04:28): “I do want people to understand. I feel like people need to understand diabetes and toddlers so that he’s safe in the real world. He can’t even go to daycare.”
Misconceptions, Stigma, and Social Media Trolls
-
Negative reactions to diabetes representation: Both discuss the online uproar about medical devices on dolls (e.g., the Barbie with an insulin pump) and the shockingly ignorant or insensitive comments that follow.
- Scott, on online comments (06:06): “When the Barbie doll came out, I already knew exactly what was going to happen... The crappy comments are gonna start.”
- Marlee, on comparisons (07:25): “I’m like, autoimmune disorder that can kill you if you don’t have insulin. Over glasses and buck teeth. Okay.”
-
Handling online hate: Marlee and Scott bond over blocking trolls, focusing on support, and the reality that the urge to be vocal online is sometimes driven by those wanting to “fix” things or push their worldview.
- Scott (09:38): “In the end, it just becomes about...somebody just thinks that there’s a thing they believe that is so important that it supersedes everything else.”
The Parent Experience: Fatigue, Advocacy, and Community
-
Managing exhaustion and priorities: Marlee expresses the real-life exhaustion from managing lows and highs at night, while fending off criticism from those who have the time to complain online.
- Scott, 11:21: “I would love to have the kind of free time that it must take for you to jump online to complain about my diabetes podcast that you don’t have to listen to, but instead I’m trying to catch up on sleep because I was up with my son with his low blood sugar all night.”
-
The uniqueness of T1D parenting: Both agree that only those intimately involved in T1D (patients, parents, close caregivers) can truly understand its daily nuances—and even then, not completely.
- Scott, 12:34: “You do have to be involved with Type one somehow, because to grasp it completely...you don’t understand what goes into it until you see it firsthand.”
-
Ongoing learning and personal growth as a parent and advocate
- Marlee and Scott both reflect on how their approaches and perspectives shift over time, accepting imperfection in public sharing for the greater good.
- Scott, 16:08: “You have to step back when it’s over and say, this was a journey...Was everything right? No...Do people send notes that say, my life’s better today...Yes.”
Connection and Community-Building
-
Social media as a lifeline: Marlee credits TikTok and online groups for introducing her to other T1D parents and for essential peer support not found in medical settings.
- Marlee, 18:53: “I think that’s how TikTok has saved me...when I got on social media and I met these moms that have dealt with their child...it just helps you feel seen and helps you learn things that doctors and diabetic educators just don’t understand.”
-
Different learning styles and resources: The hosts discuss the importance of offering content in various formats—audio, written transcripts, short videos—to reach people where they are.
- Scott, 21:14: “You learn things differently...a lot of people read the podcast.”
Monetization, Brand Deals, and Online Myths
-
Demystifying TikTok income: Marlee debunks the common belief that TikTok parents are making large sums—earnings are minimal, occasional brand deals or gifts are modest, and her regular job is still necessary.
- Marlee, 24:14: “No, I have a job...they’re not like, hello, here is a pile of money, here’s $100,000. Scam your followers and tell them that this is awesome.”
-
Intent to raise awareness, not profit: Both affirm that real value comes from helping others and making people feel less alone, not from monetary gains.
- Marlee, 25:42: “It has nothing to do with money. They could take the money away. And I still would post tomorrow.”
Platform Realities and Ephemerality
-
The fleeting nature of social media presence: Scott underscores that platforms and their rules change, and what works today (like building a successful podcast or account) might not work for someone starting out now.
- Scott, 29:02: “This could just stop. Like, what am I going to do? ...I made a really popular podcast?”
-
Imposter accounts and protecting authenticity: Marlee shares an experience with a fake Facebook page reposting her TikTok videos for ad revenue, and how she eventually reclaimed her content.
- Marlee, 35:56: “So it’s worth the $15. I pay for the blue check mark; they’ll take down anybody that’s, like, frauding your name.”
Coping with Criticism and Finding Perspective
- Handling negative podcast reviews and feedback: Scott reads both glowing and negative feedback, highlighting that not every resource will work for every person, and that’s okay.
- Scott, 40:03: “I don’t know how people’s minds work that way. If somebody tells me...something’s really valuable to them, and I go look at it, and I go, it’s not valuable to me. I don’t think, oh, the thing’s not valuable. I think I don’t intersect well with it.”
Real-life Diabetes Management: Effects of Heat and Everyday Challenges
- Environmental effects on T1D: Marlee discusses how Mississippi’s humidity drastically affects Bain’s blood sugar, often sending it dangerously low, and the unpredictability of how factors like heat or showers impact different individuals.
- Marlee, 43:01: “Bane went from like a normal blood sugar to 40 double arrows down.”
- Scott, 44:09: “That’s part of, like, what sense does diabetes ever makes? It doesn’t make any sense ever.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On public sharing:
“Was everything right? No. Was everything perfect? No...But...my life’s better today than it was before I found the podcast. Yes.”
— Scott, (16:08) -
On online criticism and perspective:
“Autoimmune disorder that can kill you if you don’t have insulin. Over glasses and buck teeth. Okay.”
— Marlee, (07:25) -
On family and purpose:
“We’re going on...a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. And it’s something that he’ll cherish and remember. I mean, he might not remember it because he’s not even two, but I’ll remember it and he’ll have pictures...”
— Marlee, (23:26) -
On value beyond money:
“Who’s going to get rich off diabetes? Because it ain’t me. It’s like Eli Lilly. You know what I mean?”
— Marlee, (27:44) -
On thick skin in advocacy:
“You do have to have a thick skin, so I hope you’re okay.”
— Scott, (36:37) -
On raising awareness:
“I just want people to realize that this is something that can happen to your toddler, and this is how we have dealt with it as a family.”
— Marlee, (25:09)
Timeline of Key Segments
- 03:02–05:14: Marlee’s motivation and boundaries in sharing Bain’s life
- 05:14–07:51: Handling social media backlash (the Barbie doll debate and public misconceptions)
- 11:21–12:34: Parenting fatigue and the outsider’s misunderstanding of the realities of T1D
- 16:06–18:53: Ongoing learning as a parent and context for advocacy/sharing online
- 18:53–20:21: The community value of social media for diabetes parents
- 22:36–25:36: The financial reality of brand deals and debunking get-rich myths
- 27:44–29:44: Purpose, legacy, and the ephemeral nature of influencer income
- 35:13–36:02: Navigating imposter accounts and protecting online authenticity
- 39:12–40:03: Podcast criticism and the reality that not every resource suits everyone
- 41:44–43:47: Lifetime advice for T1D parents and the unpredictable effects of environmental factors
Tone
Candid, humorous, supportive, and deeply empathetic. Both Scott and Marlee combine personal insight with wit and realism, encouraging understanding, flexibility and community while openly acknowledging the unpredictability and difficulty of Type 1 Diabetes parenting.
Useful for:
- Parents and caregivers of children (especially toddlers) with Type 1 Diabetes
- Anyone navigating advocacy, privacy, and community in social media health spaces
- Listeners seeking practical, honest perspectives about living “bold with insulin”
- People interested in the intersection of digital storytelling and chronic illness
Find Marlee
TikTok/Instagram: @marleebrandon
More resources & community:
- Podcast website: juiceboxpodcast.com
- Facebook group: “Juicebox Podcast – Type 1 Diabetes” (over 51,000 members)
- Episodes cited: Pro Tip series, Bold Beginnings, Mental Health series, Grand Rounds
Scott’s Closing Advice:
“Try to stay flexible and do your best to try to see Bain’s side of it while you’re going, because there’s a balance...between healthy and harmonious.” (41:44)
End Note: The episode provides both practical wisdom and emotional solidarity for families navigating the complexities of Type 1 Diabetes in a digital age, balancing advocacy and authenticity in the face of misunderstanding.