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Eve Brouwers
Toronto, ON
A near-death accident made Eve Brouwers realize that MedicAlert was a must-have in her fast-paced life.
In 2006, Eve Brouwers was training to celebrate her upcoming 50th birthday by cycling across Canada. For the first time ever, she was about to pass her coach in a downhill race.
“Out of my way!” she yelled triumphantly. Seconds later, she was unconscious.
“My front tire hit my coach’s back tire,” Eve remembers, “and I went right over the handlebars and landed on my head.” To make things worse, they were in the middle of nowhere.
Thankfully, luck was on Eve’s side. The first person to drive by the accident was a retired fireman. In the second car that stopped there was a registered nurse.
“I am the luckiest person in the world,” Eve claims. And it’s hard to doubt her — just a week before her accident, someone had stopped her while she was riding and adjusted her helmet, telling her “if you are going to wear a helmet, wear it right.” These three coincidences helped save her life. Unfortunately the generic medical ID she was wearing did not.
“I had a bracelet and all it said was Type 1 Diabetes on the back. It didn’t really help paramedics because it only told them part of the story!
It didn’t tell them what medications I was on.
It didn’t tell them my emergency contact information.
It didn’t tell them everything I would want them to know.
After I recovered from my accident, I signed up for MedicAlert immediately. If you are going to wear a medical ID, wear it right!”
Eve now knows that only MedicAlert is supported by a unique 24/7 emergency hotline service staffed with medical professionals ready to provide her crucial information and recognize conflicting treatments and medications that could put her care at risk. Plus, MedicAlert will now alert her loved ones in the event of an emergency.
Today Eve has three MedicAlert IDs that she alternates between depending on her outfit and activity: a charm medallion that she can add to her fashionable jewelry for special occasions, a sterling silver bracelet for everyday wear and a sporty one with black latex-free rubber for biking.
“It’s simple,” says Eve. “I won’t get in a car without wearing a seatbelt. I won’t get on my bike without my helmet. And I won’t leave my house without MedicAlert.”
