Tonight is the second rehearsal for this year’s Divabetic Mystery podcast, A Christmas Peril. Our take on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol aims to raise awareness for the real-life story of Kevin Houdeshell. 

36-year-old Kevin Houdeshell ran out of insulin over the New Year’s holiday in January 2014. He ended up with dangerously high blood sugars that spiraled into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), leading to him die alone in his apartment.

Kevin was doing his best to stretch out his supply until the New Year. He ran out of insulin and may have been taking the T2D-targetted metformin to help keep his blood sugars down until he could get an insulin refill, reports Healthline.

He went to the pharmacy on New Year’s Eve, but his prescription had expired. They couldn’t give him anymore without a new prescription. He tried to contact his doctor’s office but wasn’t able to reach them and left without the insulin because of the holiday.

Within days, Kevin began having what appeared to be flu-like symptoms of vomiting, cramps, and overall not feeling well. He left work one night and went homesick. When his family and friends hadn’t heard from him, a friend went to his apartment and found him there alone. It appears Kevin had gone at least four days without insulin before the end.

In the aftermath of that horrible tragedy, the Houdeshell family fought for a new law in their state, Ohio, to allow pharmacies to distribute an emergency supply of insulin to those who needed it. In the years since Kevins’s death, 5 states have passed Kevin’s Law, and several other states are looking to join the ranks.

“It’s something that has to be done. If we can save one life, it’s worth it,” Dan Houdeshell said during a phone interview with DiabetesMine. “Kevin would do anything for anybody, so we just have to. We couldn’t let it lie without trying to help other people.”

“Our mystery podcasts are one of the year’s most popular podcasts,” says Max Szadek. “I asked Dan if we could advocate on behalf of their family and share Kevin’s story in our mystery radio drama. Then I consulted with Mandy Reese PHARMD, CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES on the related medical information. I’m grateful to our cast, including Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, and MaryAnn Nicolay Med, DTR, Wendy Radford, Catherine Schuller, Trisha Artman, Seveda Williams, Terri Seidman, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic,’ Lorraine Brooks and our producer, Leisa Chester-Weir for helping me advocate for Kevin’s Law. This year as an added treat, Ivan Hampden Jr. has agreed to produce original music for our performance. 

The Holidays are full of surprises— especially after Mr. Divabetic gets a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home nestled in a cozy Christmas Village. But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge,  named Mr. Pincher almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies. Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic along with our team of amateur sleuths and his overly protective mother — set out to find the real culprit in the hopes that his name isn’t on a lethal naughty list.

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten-time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’ in last year’s Divabetic Mystery podcast, Kill Me Madam.  But resentment, greed, and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.

Delusional baker and amateur sleuth Mr. Divabetic is even shocked to find himself being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police, after meeting her just once!

As if his life wasn’t crazy enough before, escaping a murderous mishap in New York and attempting a fresh start in Nantucket has turned into a complete and utter baking disaster, now Max, along with his friends and nosy mother, have to add tracking down a murderer to his To-Do list, as well.

Can our team hunt down the real murderer before they strike again? Will he become the next victim? Can Max ever manage to bake a cake that’s actually edible?