The Type of Diabetes Doctors Miss in Adults (LADA)

Manny Hernandez grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, in a world that no longer exists — and left in 2000 as the country changed around him. Years later, a routine checkup in the U.S. led to a diabetes diagnosis, and then a misdiagnosis: he was told he had type 2, when he actually had LADA, sometimes called type 1.5, a form that's often missed in adults.In this episode, Manny sits down with Jelani Gonzalez to trace the full arc — the shock of diagnosis, the pizza-and-insulin-pump meeting where he first realized he'd found "his people," and how that single moment of not feeling alone became the seed for everything that followed. He co-founded the Diabetes Hands Foundation, built the TuDiabetes and EsTuDiabetes online communities, later handed them to Beyond Type 1, and today leads The Diabetes Link, supporting young adults ages 18–30 living with all types of diabetes.Manny is candid about the parts people don't see: winding down the foundation to care for his mother, an unforgettable send-off in a San Diego bar, the honest limits of diabetes technology, the fight over access and the Insulin Act, and why — after 24 years — he still hasn't "figured it out." His message stays simple throughout: find your community, and take it one day at a time.Send us Fan MailThe Canadian Money RoadmapPlain-English money advice for Canadians on investing, retirement, taxes and more.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify