Medic Alert Awareness
August is Medic Alert Awareness month and in recognition of it we’d like to share the story of Medic Alert’s invention from the Medic Alert foundation.
In 1953, while 14-year-old Linda Collins was having fun with her cousins, she cut herself, deeply enough to require stitches. In the emergency clinic, the doctor took the normal course of action and administered a tetanus antitoxin. Linda suffered a near-fatal allergy and slipped into a coma. Her father, Dr. Marion Collins, knew about her allergy but was regrettably out of town when the incident occurred.
The good news is, Linda made it through. Later On, Dr. Collins was dedicated to discovering a service that would safeguard her in an emergency situation by making her allergic reaction known to medical personnel. When their child took a trip, Dr. Collins and his wife Chrissie connected a paper note to among Linda’s decorative bracelets as a basic makeshift medic alert ID. The note would advise any emergency medical team that she was allergic to tetanus antitoxin, sulfa and aspirin.
Dr. Collins and Chrissie were stressed about her safety when Linda went off to college in 1956. That’s when Dr. Collins’ concept for a more long-lasting option was born. Working with a jewelry expert in San Francisco, he developed the very first Medic Alert ID bracelet. He picked a symbol with the personnel of Asclepius, the Greek god of medication and recovery, and etched Linda’s allergic reactions on the bracelet.
They revealed interest in having one like it to notify emergency room workers about their own allergic reactions or conditions when others saw Linda’s bracelet. Understanding this concept might save many people, Dr. Collins and Chrissie understood they needed to take on the mission to protect and save lives.
“I believe I can save more lives with Medic Alert than I ever can with with my scalpel.” – Dr. Marion Collins, Medic Alert founder
Right after, they introduced the Medic Alert Foundation to make their life-saving bracelet offered to a lot more people dealing with allergic reactions and other persistent medical conditions. From the beginning, they developed Medic Alert as a not-for-profit company, acknowledging that offering essential services to enhance emergency situation results is a civil service.
Dr. Collins’ development, and the company he and his wife established, took hold and grew due to the fact that it fulfilled an important human need for security and comfort. Linda’s original medical ID bracelet, now in the Smithsonian Institution, communicated essential medical info– so that she might live a complete life, be safe, and offer her parents comfort while she was far from house. For over 65 years, Medic Alert Foundation’s lifesaving product or services have actually continued to do the exact same for countless others all over the world.
“We’re not here to make money – we’re here to save lives.” – Dr. Marion Collins, Medic Alert founder
According to the Medic Alert Foundation, “A medical ID bracelet, necklace or shoe tag can be custom engraved with any medical condition. Physician and health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mayo Clinic and American Diabetes Association recommend medical IDs. A Medic Alert ID is recommended for the following medical conditions.”
Chronic Medical Conditions
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Allergies
- Amyloidosis
- Anemia
- Asthma
- Bleeding disorders
- Blood clots
- Breast cancer
- Celiac disease
- COPD
- Crohn’s Disease
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Emphysema
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart disease or heart failure
- Hemophilia & bleeding disorders
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Lupus
- Lymphedema
- Kidney disease
- Malignant Hyperthermia
- Marfan Syndrome
- Mental Health
- Organ transplant
- Sickle cell anemia
- Stroke
Allergies
Food allergies
- Nut allergies
- Penicillin & other antibiotics
- Pain medications or sedatives
- Other medication allergies
- Latex allergy
Neurological Conditions
- ALS
- Alzheimer’s
- Autism
- Developmental disabilities
- Dementia
- Down Syndrome
- Epilepsy & seizure disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s
Medications
- ACE Inhibitors
- Aspirin
- Antidepressants
- Beta blockers
- Blood thinners
- Insulin
- Seizure medications
- Statins
- Steroids
- Synthroid
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H/T Medicalert.org