My MedicAlert bracelet and protection plan allows my health information, physicians, and loved ones to be linked to my account. If something were to happen, I find great comfort in knowing that all the right people could be reached."
Living with Life-Threatening Food Allergies
Living with life-threatening food allergies is something Sarah Ackerman has been dealing with her entire life. Diagnosed as a toddler, Sarah has had to learn a lot of strategies to avoid serious allergic reactions.
Today, she’s an expert at reading food labels, knows how to talk to restaurant staff about cross-contamination, and religiously carries an epinephrine auto-injector at all times. Although she’s learned ways to live with her food allergies, Sarah’s journey continues—with MedicAlert by her side.
“When I was three years old, I got my first real piece of jewelry,” says Sarah. “It was a silver and gold bracelet, customized just for me. There was nobody else in the world who could wear this bracelet, and I felt special.”
She continued, “My MedicAlert bracelet has remained on my wrist for more than twenty-one years. It has seen me through every dance performance, breakup, sleepover, and most importantly, allergic reaction. While the styles, allergies, and chain length have changed over the years, one thing remains clear—this bracelet is my lifeline.”
Want to learn more?
About Allergies
Learn more about this condition on the medical conditions page.
Learn More >
Other Conditions
Read about other conditions that our MedicAlert members live with.
Read More >
Growing up with life-threatening food allergies
“To make it easier, I’ll start at the beginning,” Sarah said. “When I started preschool, my pediatrician explained to my parents the importance of having a MedicAlert bracelet. So they got me one right away.
“That MedicAlert ID provided me with my first major life lesson and feeling of identity. I was taught to flip the bracelet over upon meeting an adult. Point to it for them to read, and say ‘no nuts for me.’ Simple, but it worked! And quite honestly, you can’t expect much more from a three-year-old. I was perfectly trained.”
Sarah’s first allergy was to tree nuts. Not to be confused with peanuts (a legume), the most common tree nuts that trigger food allergies are walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts.
Sarah is so sensitive to tree nuts that she’s at risk for anaphylaxis, a severe rapid-onset allergic reaction that can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Tree nuts are found in some very unexpected places including breakfast cereals, condiments, candy, frozen desserts, and cookies. These are all the things kids and teens (and let’s face it, adults too) love.
To stay safe, Sarah takes extraordinary measures to avoid her allergy triggers. But because tree nuts are found in so many common foods, avoiding them can be difficult. Accidental exposure is always a risk.
That’s why Sarah’s parents made sure she had a MedicAlert ID. When people around your child know they have severe allergies, they can help your child avoid contact with those allergens. And in case of an allergic reaction, a MedicAlert ID engraved with “anaphylaxis risk, allergic to tree nuts food” alerts the people around your child about their life-threatening condition.
Sarah explained how it made a difference for her and her family.
“While I was growing up and still too young to fully communicate my allergies this bracelet provided my parents with peace of mind.
“My bracelet, which looked way too nice for any child to otherwise be wearing, was very apparent upon seeing me. At school, dance class, rehearsals, or playdates, the bracelet remained a constant. A constant voice that would be available if something were to go wrong.”
Embracing my MedicAlert medical ID
“Once I reached my teenage years, I wanted to find the aspects of my food allergies I felt like I could control,” explains Sarah. “My MedicAlert bracelet was the only thing I could think of.”
That lead to some experimentation. “As a result, I sometimes took it off, just to see if anyone would notice and if something bad would happen. When I did that, I always felt nervous knowing that if something went wrong, I wasn’t helping myself.
“My parents tried to turn it into something special, showing me all the styles and allowing me to pick out my very own [medical ID],” says Sarah. “As jealous as my sister was of me picking out the styles, I was more jealous that she didn’t have to wear one at all.”
In high school, her ID sometimes made her feel different from other teenagers. “I looked around the hallways and saw the bare wrists of my classmates,” Sarah recalls, “feeling like this bracelet had huge arrows pointing to it with big flashing lights. In reality, nobody noticed it except for the people who were trained to. I wish I realized that sooner.”
In high school, her ID sometimes made her feel different from other teenagers. “I looked around the hallways and saw the bare wrists of my classmates,” Sarah recalls, “feeling like this bracelet had huge arrows pointing to it with big flashing lights. In reality, nobody noticed it except for the people who were trained to. I wish I realized that sooner.”
Now she knows just how important her MedicAlert ID is for her safety. “I think my pediatrician said it best when he said, ‘In the event something happens, food allergies would be the last thing someone thinks of when it should be the first.’ With food allergies, treatment needs to be immediate—there is absolutely no time to wait.”
“After that,” says Sarah, “I never took my bracelet off again.”
Empowered by MedicAlert
If you’re living with life-threatening food allergies, a MedicAlert medical ID is your 24/7 companion. In case of a medical emergency like anaphylaxis when breathing is difficult, MedicAlert will be your voice. It provides first responders with the information they need to give you faster, more accurate treatment.
“I’ve had a number of conversations with people who think they no longer need a MedicAlert bracelet as they get older,” says Sarah. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. As I now work to educate others about the importance of MedicAlert, I point out the incredible benefits that often go unrealized.”
In addition to communicating your allergies, a MedicAlert ID bracelet links health professionals to the information they need to assist you in a crisis. MedicAlert’s health profile stores all your important medical history, as well as contact information for physicians and emergency contacts.
“If something were to happen,” says Sarah, “I find great comfort in knowing that because of my [MedicAlert] bracelet, all the right people could be reached.”
Facts About
Food Allergies
Sarah's MedicAlert bracelet
Today, Sarah wears a sterling silver MedicAlert bracelet that’s rhodium-coated to resist scratches and tarnishing. This classic embossed bracelet is also available in 10-karat gold and stainless steel. The globally-recognized MedicAlert emblem is prominently displayed on the front, with Sarah’s allergies, Member ID number and MedicAlert emergency hotline engraved on the back. Custom engraving on all MedicAlert medical ID products is free.
“I am well into my twenties and I still look forward to picking out a new bracelet,” says Sarah. “I’ll continue to wear my MedicAlert ID to keep me safe.”
For people like Sarah living with food allergies, MedicAlert is an important part of their safety toolkit. See how MedicAlert protects people with food allergies here.
