MedicAlert, Lions Clubs and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board come together for the No Child Without® Program
Innovative Medical Program Protects Children and Eases Parents’ Concerns
Newcastle, ON, February 14th, 2008 – Beginning today, the No Child Without program will be available in 18 Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB) schools. This is the first local program to be launched in Canada as part of a national initiative of the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation in partnership with the Lions Clubs of Canada.
MedicAlert and the Lions have come together to protect elementary students from unforeseen medical emergencies through No Child Without (NCW). Children up to age 14 with pre-existing medical conditions will receive a free MedicAlert bracelet and membership, which will allow access to the student’s health information by first responders during a medical emergency.
“The emergency numbers on the back of the MedicAlert bracelets provide us with important information to assist a student in an emergency situation should it arise,” said John Mackle, Director of Education with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board.
Local Lions Clubs will provide funding and community-based support to expand and implement NCW across Canada. MedicAlert bracelets and necklaces will now feature an engraving of the Lions Club logo in recognition of their outstanding contribution to this cause.
MedicAlert plans to continue to work with the PVNCCDSB to expand this program to other schools over the next five years.
“Through the support of local Lions Clubs, No Child Without will continue to grow in scope and allow parents to feel that their children are more safe while in the care of others throughout the school day,” said Terry Graham, Past International Director of the Lions Club of Canada. “They have access to the vital health information they need to help our children.”
Parents are immediately notified by MedicAlert when the hotline receives a call about their child. Many parents of children who wear MedicAlert bracelets have found it reassuring to know that they will be informed if their child has had a medical emergency and that proper care was quickly provided.
“As most parents know, children with medical conditions may be at risk whenever they leave their home. Parents worry a great deal about how their child will communicate their medical condition in a crisis,” said Martin Kabat, President and CEO of MedicAlert. “Through the help of local Lions Clubs across Canada, the No Child Without program will provide students in Peterborough and nationally the full protection of MedicAlert and give parents peace of mind.”
MedicAlert’s No Child Without program focuses on children who suffer from allergies like peanuts, childhood diabetes and asthma, and also helps children with other pre-existing medical conditions. Across Canada, at least 10 per cent of children have a condition that warrants MedicAlert® protection1.
The goal of the No Child Without program is to provide elementary students across Canada a MedicAlert bracelet or necklace custom-engraved with the child’s medical information, member ID and the MedicAlert 24-hour Emergency Hotline number. By calling the number, school staff or health care providers have immediate access to vital information from the child’s electronic health record, including existing medical conditions, medications, allergies, special needs, physician and family contacts.
About No Child Without
The No Child Without program was launched nationally in November 2006 and over the next five years it will be offered to all of Canada’s 12,000 elementary schools. The program was developed in the spirit of Canadian health care to assist every child regardless of their financial resources. MedicAlert relies on the generous donations from its members and corporations, government, foundations and individuals to support its mission. The program’s web site can be found at www.nochildwithout.ca
About the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation
Operating nationally, MedicAlert is a member-based registered charity with more than one million Canadian members. The Canadian MedicAlert Foundation has been the provider of emergency medical information services in Canada since 1961. The Foundation’s services include electronic health records, a state-of-the-art secure database, a 24-hour emergency hotline and customized identification products that protect persons with chronic medical conditions or special medical needs. The foundation’s web site can be accessed at www.medicalert.ca.
About the Lions Club of Canada
The Lions Club of Canada is part of an international network of 1.3 million men and women in 202 countries who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world. Beginning in 1917, the association of Lions Clubs has provided millions of people with the opportunity to give something back to their communities.
For more information, please contact:
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Janine Allen Veritas Communications 416-482-2248 ext. 248 allen@veritascanada.com |
Deborah Legrove, CFRE Canadian MedicAlert Foundation 416-696-0142 ext. 1153 dlegrove@medicalert.ca |
Canadian Lung Association - http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/asthma-asthme/children-enfants/index_e.php;
Canadian Diabetes Association, http://www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/thefacts.asp;
The Prevalence and costs of Diabetes http://www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/prevalence.asp.
