Marina Tsaplina – The Patient Voice 2016: Bridging the Diabetes Gaps

Founded on Dec 5th, 2013 our mission is to pave a path to joyful health for all people who carry chronic health conditions through creative and unique theater-driven programming. Our therapeutic theater education programs, developed by professional artists in partnership with a leading clinical psychologist, address the mental and emotional health side of living with chronic condition(s). Currently focusing on the diabetes sector, our programs seek to connect all sides of the care-circle in order to holistically improve the lives of people with diabetes, bridge the gap between patients and providers, destigmatize depression and build cultural empathy for the experience of living with chronic illness.

-The Patient Voice


#MasterLab 2015 – Marina Tsaplina

Marina Tsaplina is a puppeteer, clown and kinesthetic performing artist whose mission of helping us all achieve “joyful health” led to the founding of a unique group, The Betes Organization. They seek to understand the meanings of chronic conditions in our lives through unique, playful, and un-scary methods. This talk comes from an engaging storyteller, a crusader of inner demons, and a person living a complex relationship with her ‘Betes.

#MasterLab is a day of advocacy held in conjunction with CWD’s Friend For Life conference in Orlando, Florida every summer. If you’re interested in joining us next summer visit: http://www.diabetesadvocates.org/MasterLab


TuDiabetes Make Your Own ‘Betes!!! Workshop

NOTE:  we had a technical glitch during this event, from minute 3:56 to 5:26.  Please fast forward past that piece!

Imagine you could see your diabetes- what would it look like?

Imagine your diabetes could speak- what would it say?
What would you say to it/him/her?
What would its personality be like?

The Betes Organization will host a Make Your Own Betes Workshop for anyone who is interested to create a puppet-character of their diabetes.

The event will be video-streamed live into the TuDiabetes home page, guided by Marina Tsaplina, founder of The Betes Org and member of the TuDiabetes community!

Category: Nonprofits & Activism
Uploaded by: Diabetes Hands Foundation
Hosted: youtube


TuDiabetes Live Interview with Marina Tsaplina, clown and puppeteer with diabetes

Marina is the founder and catalyst of The Betes. She has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was 2 years old. When she was little she wanted to be an artist, a dancer, a teacher and a diabetes doctor. The Betes is her doing precisely that, with a twist: directing the power of theater in service to one of the greatest health crises of our time.

Category: Nonprofits & Activism
Uploaded by: Diabetes Hands Foundation
Hosted: youtube