Racing family raises hepatitis C awareness

Comedian and K-State graduate Susan Dale has made progress on reality TV show "Livin' 4 Racin' Time" since its pilot aired in Tulsa, Okla., last January.

The show centers on her family — whose members live in Manhattan — and their race car team, Scuderia Shadetree Racing. What makes the program unique, however, is the underlying tone of hepatitis C awareness.

The concept for the show began when her brother, Allen, a semi-professional formula 2000 race car driver, reconnected with a high school friend on Facebook. She was looking to do public awareness work to educate people on hepatitis C, Allen said, and asked for his help. Allen agreed to help and even replaced his sponsor on his car with the slogan, "Get Tested Hepatitis C."

"I wanted to find a cause that's not being talked about, that's not really out in the public, but it's one of the leading killers in liver disease," Allen said.

"It's not a show about hepatitis C," Susan said. "It's a racing show. It's probably one of the first reality shows that actually integrates a cause within the show."

Susan, who currently lives in Tulsa, describes her family as "bi-racial: half white trash, half redneck." She said they have always stood out in their Mister Rogers-type neighborhood in Manhattan, where the houses are primarily painted white with pristine front lawns. Her parent's house is turquoise with plastic flowers in the front yard and racing parts in the back yard.

"We are who we are," Susan said. "The show is not made up. We are just a very eccentric family. For example, my mother has a drinking problem. Every morning, she has to have Dr Pepper. We have fun. We tease each other constantly."

Susan said the biggest thing for the show now is taking it to the networks. She is scheduled to head out to Los Angeles on Sunday to speak with the manager about airing the show across the nation.

"We have interest with online channels to cable channels," Susan said. "All of them will air the show once we have filmed four episodes. I really see this show playing on CMT [Country Music Television]. We're not about making millions on this show, we just want this show to change people's lives."

She said there is interest from the Latino market, which would like her to have the show translated so it can air it as well.

Aside from being a comedian who appeared on "Last Comic Standing," Susan currently works three jobs while raising a family. Susan said even though they have only filmed the pilot, which she edited herself and is currently posted on YouTube, she knows the program has already changed lives.

Susan received an email from a woman who was five months pregnant which said that after watching the trailer for the pilot episode, she decided to get tested. According to Susan, the lady found out she had hepatitis C and told Susan she could now protect her child.

Susan also said a nursing home director recognized her and told her that after watching the pilot he had decided to do some research on hepatitis C. He told Susan he had every single staff member and patient of his nursing home get tested. According to Susan, the director said some of people were tested positive. Susan said he told her if it hadn't been for her and her work, he wouldn't have done that.

So, why include hepatitis C in a reality show, out of all illnesses out there, to bring to the public's attention?

"That's the big question," Susan said. "There are so many other diseases out there that people talk about. That's just it. Nobody's talking about hepatitis C. It's spreading faster than AIDS and people need to know whether they have it or not. We're not advocating treatment. We're not advocating going natural. We're just saying, ‘get tested' and that's it."

Acccording to the Oklahoma Blood Institute's website, obi.org, hepatitis C is a liver inflammation which is caused by exposure to contaminated blood and other bodily fluids. According to the Greenview Foundation's Hepatitis C Fund website, hepcfund.org, the disease can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The disease affects four to five million Americans and is the number one reason for liver transplants, according to the website.

With her reality show, Susan said a public service announcement will be made out of every episode.

Clint Engles is an independent filmmaker who has been filming a documentary since February called "Hustle" about Susan's efforts with the show.

"I definitely think she'll get something launched," Engles said. "With what she's going through now, jumping through so many hurdles and trying to get this show picked up by either a network or production company or whatever, she'll probably get some sort of success outside of the show."

Melvin Dale, Susan's father, said working on the show has been a lot of fun.

"It's been highs and lows," Melvin said.

When it comes to racing, Melvin said his family has gone a long way, from winning races, to his son Donnie crashing in a serious racing accident, leaving him in a body cast and out of work for a little over two years.

And when it comes to being followed around with a camera, he said he does not really notice.

"I don't pay any attention to them. You don't have time to. The real world [in racing], what we're doing, is the hard work," Donnie said.

Other shows involving racing, Donnie said, do not show how difficult racing is, especially behind the scenes.

"I work 100 hours a week on the race cars just to keep everything going and that's just so we can go racing," he said.

Next month is hepatitis C awarenss month and Lynn Baxter Studios, Susan's production company, has a link on their website, lynnbaxterstudios.com, to donate to "Get Tested for Hepatitis C Awareness."

"All the donations go to the Freedom Girls Foundation which covers the underwriting costs of the show," Susan said. "They won't fund the whole show."