"NEVER take off your bracelet," Andrea's parents told her when she was diagnosed with type one diabetes in 1963. This simple advice became the foundation of Andrea's life for the next 60 years.
Andrea's journey with MedicAlert began when she was a young girl. Acting on her doctor's recommendation, her parents got her a MedicAlert subscription and an ID, which she continues to wear. To Andrea, her ID wasn't an accessory; it was her constant companion, her guardian angel.
One day, in gym class, her teacher demanded she take it off, fearing it might get caught on something. Andrea, a timid girl, refused and was punished. She had to stand alone in the corner for the entire class. Sobbing, she obeyed, her MedicAlert bracelet still on her wrist. Upon hearing this, her mother took action. She wrote a letter to the principal, making it clear that "never, ever should the bracelet come off." It was a clear message that her daughter's MedicAlert ID was non-negotiable.
Over the years, Andrea faced various health challenges because of her type one diabetes. There were moments when her body struggled to adapt to new medications or insulin changes, resulting in unexpected emergencies. But she always had MedicAlert to speak for her.
She recalls an incident where she experienced hypoglycemic unawareness while walking home from work. She stumbled into a bar just one block from her apartment and had no recollection of asking the bartender for help to call her mother. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, her mother had the bartender call emergency services, emphasizing the importance of immediate assistance. The first responders, upon seeing Andrea’s MedicAlert ID, quickly administered glucose, averting a potentially dire situation.
Andrea says, "The line that MedicAlert speaks for you is exactly what it does. In the situation I described, and there have been more... where would I be if I didn’t have MedicAlert telling the first responders how desperately ill I was? I don't even want to think about it”.
