Cayla has always understood what it means to serve.
A retired member of the Air Force, she spent her military career in Resource Management Support before retiring in 2003 at just 42 years old. The military was also where she met her husband, and together they built a life shaped by service, resilience, and deep trust in one another.
Two years after retiring, Cayla was diagnosed with diabetes. Then, in 2007, her health changed again — suddenly, and frighteningly.
She and her husband were out walking on a beautiful summer day in Kelowna, climbing a hill together. By the time Cayla reached the top, she felt an intense pressure in her chest.
“It felt like someone was sitting on me,” she remembers.
At the time, Cayla did not realize she had experienced a heart attack. But the next day, still feeling unwell, she went to the hospital. Doctors discovered a blockage, and she was flown to Vancouver to have a stent inserted.
That experience stayed with her. It also helped her make an important decision.
Like many of us, Cayla had grown up knowing about MedicAlert. And while there are many medical ID options available today, she understood that MedicAlert was different. It was not just about wearing a bracelet. It was about the emergency health record behind it — the information first responders and health professionals may need when someone cannot explain their medical history themselves.
After her heart attack, Cayla became a MedicAlert subscriber.
Then in 2009, Cayla had the first of two strokes. This one affected the right side of her body. She lost the use of her right side entirely and had to work through physical therapy to regain her mobility. Today, she is mobile again, with only one lingering reminder of that stroke: a lack of feeling in the fingers on her right hand.
Then, in 2011, Cayla had a second stroke. This time, she lost her ability to speak and swallow. “It was even more terrifying than the first stroke,” she says.
With time, care, and determination, Cayla regained both her speech and her ability to swallow. Today, she speaks clearly, though every now and then, her tongue does not allow her to form the word she wants to say.
It is in those moments that Cayla knows exactly why MedicAlert matters. If she cannot speak for herself, MedicAlert can speak for her.
For nearly 20 years, Cayla has trusted MedicAlert to help protect her in an emergency. She understands the importance of having medical information that is current, accurate, and available when it is needed most.
She also understands the importance of the ID itself.
One day, Cayla was having lunch at Costco with a friend who is also a MedicAlert subscriber. Two paramedics sat nearby, and they began chatting about MedicAlert. When Cayla’s friend showed one of the paramedics her bracelet, his response was immediate: she needed a new one.
The engraving had become worn and difficult to read.
For Cayla, it was a simple but important reminder. While first responders may access a subscriber’s emergency health record, there are still times when the bracelet or necklace is the fastest way to identify a condition or know who to call. The information needs to be readable. It needs to be up to date. It needs to work when it is needed.
Soon after, Cayla got a second MedicAlert ID as a backup.
That practical care — making sure she is prepared, making sure the information is there, making sure others know what to do — is part of who Cayla is.
It is also part of why she gives.
Cayla is a MedicAlert donor, and her generosity comes from a very personal place. When she read Trenton’s story in MedicAlert’s spring 65th Anniversary fundraising campaign, it touched her. She thought about people who need MedicAlert, including children, adults living with complex medical conditions, and families who may not have the financial means to access the service on their own.
She remembers thinking that she could do a little bit more to help.
That is Cayla’s spirit: grateful for the support she has received, and willing to help extend that support to someone else.
She is also encouraged by how MedicAlert continues to evolve. She was pleased to learn about the Good Samaritan training program which launched in Ontario this year, which helps teach community members what they can do if they find someone wearing a MedicAlert ID who may be in medical distress. She’s excited for the program to make its way out to the west coast.
For Cayla, that matters. Not every emergency begins with a paramedic. Sometimes it begins with a neighbour, a passerby, or a stranger who wants to help but may not know what to do.
She was also reassured by MedicAlert’s work to connect directly with 9-1-1 computer dispatch systems in a growing number Canadian communities, so that a subscriber’s health information can be available before dispatch. That means first responders may have important information before they arrive — before they knock on the door, before they step into the home, before precious time is lost.
For someone who has relied on MedicAlert for nearly two decades, these advancements mean a great deal. They help her, and they help others.
Cayla’s health journey has included diabetes, a heart attack, and two strokes. She has had to work to regain abilities many people take for granted. She knows what it feels like when words are not there.
But Cayla’s story is not only about what she has been through.
It is about the strength she carries. The trust she places in MedicAlert. The thoughtfulness she brings to her own safety. And the generosity she shows in helping others access the same protection.
For Cayla, MedicAlert is peace of mind. It is a voice when hers may not be there.
And through her support, it is a way to make sure someone else is not alone in a moment when they need help most.
Are you an individual with a chronic medical condition? Learn more about how MedicAlert can provide peace of mind, protection, and support at medicalert.ca/signup or call 1-800-668-1507 today.
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