My MedicAlert membership saved my life. When the staff in the ER saw my bracelet, it saved time and the nurses were able to obtain my medical information immediately.”Larry R. – MedicAlert member since 2005
We direct every dollar, service, and action towards protecting the lives of our members
100% of your tax-deductible donation will:
Sponsor a MedicAlert membership
for someone facing financial hardship
Provide safety and protection
for someone living with a chronic health condition
Power our 24/7 Emergency Services
to provide critical medical information to first responders
Retiring from a career in medicine, I always knew the advantages to being a MedicAlert Foundation member. This community has given me a great deal, and I want to give back.”Tom, Doctor and loyal MedicAlert donor since 2010.
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A simple idea to save lives
In 1953, 14-year-old girl cut her finger, deep enough to need stitches. When she arrived at the hospital, the attending physician took the normal course of action, administering a shot of tetanus antitoxin. The girl went into anaphylactic shock and nearly died.
Fortunately, she survived the incident, and three days later returned home unharmed.
That girl was Linda Collins, daughter of Dr. Marion and Chrissie Collins of Turlock, CA. Dr. Collins knew he needed to find a way to communicate Linda’s potentially fatal allergy in an emergency. Whenever Linda traveled, he attached a paper bracelet to her wrist listing her allergies, to avoid a reoccurrence of the incident that almost killed her.
In 1956 when Linda went to college, Dr. and Mrs. Collins knew they had to do something more to protect their daughter. Dr. Collins commissioned a jeweler to create a medical identification bracelet. He chose an emblem with the staff of Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine, and engraved Linda’s allergies on the bracelet. Off at college, Linda’s bracelet drew a lot of attention. That’s when a father’s simple idea to protect his daughter from a potentially fatal allergy changed the course of the medical world.
Dr. Marion and Chrissie Collins created MedicAlert, the country’s first universal symbol of medical identification. The organization’s mission, then and today, is simple: to save and protect lives by sharing vital medical information in our members’ moments of need. By alerting first responders and emergency medical personnel to a person’s allergies or chronic medical conditions, Dr. Collins knew he could improve the ability of first responders to provide fast, accurate care. Realizing the potential of his idea, Dr. Collins said, “I think I can save more lives with MedicAlert than I ever can with my scalpel.”
The Collins family established MedicAlert Foundation as a non-profit organization in 1956, running the Foundation from their living room. From our humble beginnings, we’ve grown become to become the world’s most recognized medical ID symbol.
MedicAlert Foundation is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization. Your donation today will directly support our 24/7 emergency services, first responder education programs, and members who are in financial distress, allowing us to make a difference for millions of Americans who experience emergencies every day. © 2022 All rights reserved. MedicAlert® is a U.S. registered trademark and service mark.