For David Campbell, 55, driving by himself to the family cabin in Northern California was nothing out of the ordinary. On this particular weekend, in May 2011, David was going up to repair a few things at the cabin and then return home. The leisurely drive north came to an abrupt end however as David experienced a severe hypoglycemic attack while driving and he never made it to the cabin.

“I know he had a good breakfast and took his insulin, but it wasn’t enough,” said his wife Carol. “He wasn’t speeding or driving erratic, just driving really slowly. He apparently slumped over the steering wheel and had to be stopped by several drivers to stop his car.” David’s car came to rest on the other side of the road and a bystander called the CHP. When the police arrived, the officer noticed David’s MedicAlert ID and informed the paramedics who arrived a few minutes later that they were dealing with a diabetic patient. The paramedics read the back of his MedicAlert ID and discovered he was insulin dependent.

“Fortunately the paramedics saw he was insulin dependent and they started an IV right away,” Mrs. Campbell said. MedicAlert immediately called me to let me know what had happened to David. “By the time I got up there he was okay and I drove him home. Unfortunately I was unable to thank the police officer who noticed David’s MedicAlert ID. Our son had to retrieve his car and bring it back home.” Carol said she has been aware of MedicAlert for as long as she can remember. “My mom was a diabetic and she wore the medicalert bracelet,” she recalled. “I knew about it through my mom and when we found out David had diabetes, I immediately signed him up.”

A member since 1989, David took an early retirement after working in the Silicon Valley as an integrated circuit design engineer. According to Carol, David is now doing well at home and keeping busy with do-it-yourself projects around the house.

“I am very grateful there’s something out there for people with serious medical conditions,” said Carol “I don’t know what would have happened if he wasn’t wearing his MedicAlert ID. I’m so glad he got treated immediately. MedicAlert saved his life and we eternally grateful to this great organization.”

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More than a medical ID

MedicAlert is the only provider of live 24/7 emergency response services alerting emergency responders about your vital medical information and ensuring you receive the most effective care to help save your life. With MedicAlert, you can be confident and live life fully knowing that your MedicAlert ID connects you to the most dependable emergency support network – because every moment matters.

Here’s how the MedicAlert works for you:

• In an emergency, first responders are trained to look for your personalized MedicAlert® ID, who read the engraved information, and call our live 24/7 emergency response center.
• Once connected, we relay your complete medical information, to speed your treatment and help save your life.
• We then call your designated family contacts to alert them about your emergency.

Wear it loud; wear it proud

Lots of teens don’t like to tell people they have diabetes. They don’t talk about it, they don’t test in public, and they don’t like to wear a medical ID bracelet. When traveling, however, it is critical that all teens (and younger kids) wear some kind of medical ID bracelet or necklace. The MedicAlert medical ID is universally recognized by all medical personnel. Your teen may not always be around you or other traveling companions, and should they find themselves in a situation where it is difficult to explain to a medic what is going on, having a MedicAlert ID is an important safeguard. In fact, it saved David’s life and one day may save yours or your loved one’s.