NORTH CAROLINA -- November is American Diabetes month, and with the disease affecting millions, one country singer with Type 1 diabetes is sharing his journey to raise awareness.

Ben Rue has always loved music, and when he was diagnosed with the life-changing disease at age 14, he refused to let it keep him off the stage.

The American Diabetes Association estimates 193,000 people in America under 20 years old have diabetes, more than one million people in America have Type 1, and as of 2015, more than 84 million adults have prediabetes.

"My mom's a nurse and brings home little things to test on her kids for fun and she brought home a blood sugar kit one day and tested it on her boys," said Rue. "My brothers were normal 80-110 and mine was 555 and that was kind of the first start of me as a Type 1 diabetic."

With a busy tour schedule, Rue manages his diabetes as he goes from city to city and stage to stage.

"[My fans] say, 'Thank you for sharing your journey and giving my kid, my daughter, my son hope there's more to life than just diabetic,'" said Rue.

The American Diabetes Association lists some of the disease's symptoms as:

  • Urinating often
  • Extreme thirst
  • Extreme hunger
  • Fatigue
  • Weight loss

For more information about diabetes, visit http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms/.