NASHVILLE, TN – On Thursday, October 6th, hip hop artist Nia Kay will take over the Gentry Center for Tennessee State University’s Homecoming. Known for bringing the heat on stage, Nia Kay is excited to join the stage with fellow artists Glorilla, Nardo Wick and Est Gee to name a few. “This is such a wonderful time to be performing at TSU for this year’s homecoming concert. TSU pride runs deep in my bones as I have family that attends the school,” says Nia Kay.

She will also be performing Friday, October 7, at the Roaring Loud Fest alongside hip hop artists Jeezy and Boosie. Nia Kay will be performing her latest single, “Trust Me” at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville. The single, released this summer is steadily climbing the charts and is being played on top radio stations across the country and internationally.

The Chicago native will also show her HBCU pride by participating in a number of other festivities and also raising awareness for T-1D, a life threatening autoimmune disease that personally impacts Nia’s life.

As an ambassador for JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy non-profit, Nia Kay is proud to share her story of how she balances a demanding career and active lifestyle while living with the disease which requires 24/7 management.

“I’ve been living with type 1 diabetes since I was three years old,” said Nia. “My family didn’t know anything about the disease and didn’t recognize the symptoms and I ended up being hospitalized at the time of my diagnosis.

“That’s why I want everyone to know about T1D and how to get screened to avoid serious health conditions at the onset so they don’t have to go through what me and my parents went through when I was diagnosed.”

T1D is an autoimmune disease that affects both adults and children at any age regardless of diet, family history, or lifestyle choices. Like Nia, each year in the U.S., nearly 50% of children and adolescents experience DKA at the time of their diagnosis with T1D. Simultaneously, nearly 40% of adults with T1D are initially misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes and may not be prescribed an appropriate treatment or receive adequate diabetes education. Screening to determine if you are at risk for developing T1D early, along with close monitoring for the symptoms of T1D can help to avoid serious conditions like a diabetic coma and DKA at the onset of the disease, The JDRF T1Detect program is a critically important effort towards the the early detection of T1D and achieving better health outcomes. With a simple blood test and monitoring of symptoms with a diabetes healthcare practitioner, adults and children can avoid misdiagnosis and life threatening conditions at the onset of T1D.