Brenda has lived with brittle diabetes for more than six decades. It’s a dangerous and unpredictable condition where blood sugar can rise or plummet suddenly, without the usual warning signs. As a result, she sometimes loses consciousness during a diabetic emergency. If not treated quickly, a diabetic incident like this can result in brain damage or even death.

One day, Brenda was running errands before a busy weekend. She felt a little off but kept pushing through. By the time she reached her last stop, the grocery store, confusion set in. She remembers looking down at her shoes, trying to focus, leaning against a shelf, thinking she needed to eat something —and then everything went black.

The next thing she knew, a kind stranger was holding her hand, reading her MedicAlert bracelet. Within minutes paramedics arrived. Because they got her diagnosis from Brenda’s ID, they immediately gave her the help she needed. Without that MedicAlert ID, she may have died. 

Another incident happened in her own backyard. Brenda was outside gardening and enjoying the fresh air when dizziness struck. Her vision got blurry. She doesn’t remember what happened next, but she woke up in a hospital bed. Her neighbors had seen her collapse—and because of her MedicAlert bracelet, they knew it wasn’t just exhaustion or dehydration. They called for help immediately, and once again, MedicAlert made sure she didn’t become another tragic statistic.