Donor Newsletter – August 2023, Vol. 9
The month of August honors two important events: MedicAlert Awareness Month and National Make-a-Will Month. This August, we recognize the powerful legacies that shape our mission – both the remarkable legacy of MedicAlert Foundation, and the impact you make by supporting MedicAlert.
As a MedicAlert donor, your financial contribution plays a crucial role in helping protect and save lives. On behalf of the entire MedicAlert staff and the millions of people we serve, thank you for your ongoing support!
Read on to learn more about MedicAlert’s legacy. And see how – through your gifts – MedicAlert makes a difference every day for people with chronic health conditions.
The MedicAlert journey began in 1953 in Turlock, California, with a young teenager named Linda Collins. While playing with friends, Linda suffered an injury that required stitches. Her parents were away, and a neighbor took her to the emergency room. Per standard protocol for this type of injury, the ER doctor administered a tetanus antitoxin. He was unaware that Linda was severely allergic to the drug.
The consequences were grave. Linda went into anaphylactic shock, her life hanging in the balance for five harrowing days. Thankfully she survived, but this incident deeply troubled her father, Dr. Marion Collins, a local physician. Although her father knew about her allergy, he wasn’t there to tell emergency personnel and avoid Linda’s life-threatening reaction. He was determined to find a way to protect her in case of another emergency.
At first, Linda’s parents pinned a note to her clothes with her allergies. Sometimes they crafted paper bracelets for her to wear. But as she was getting ready for college, Dr. Collins knew they needed a more durable solution.
Collaborating with a jeweler in San Francisco, Dr. Collins designed the first MedicAlert bracelet with the staff of Asclepius – the Greek god of medicine – on the front. It featured a snake coiling around a staff, flanked by the words “MEDIC ALERT” in bright red. The back was engraved with Linda’s allergies and her father’s phone number.
At college, Linda’s bracelet attracted lots of attention. Soon, her classmates with allergies, asthma, or other medical conditions like diabetes and epilepsy requested their own bracelets. The Collins family began crafting custom bracelets to fulfill the growing demand.
Very quickly, Dr. Collins realized that his idea could benefit not just his daughter, but many people living with chronic or life-threatening conditions. He and his wife Chrissie reached out to hospitals and law enforcement across the country to test the idea. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Recognizing the power of his idea, Dr. Collins declared, “I believe I can save more lives through MedicAlert that I ever can with my scalpel.”
It was a simple idea, really – a way to communicate medical history to first responders through a piece of jewelry. But that simple idea forever changed the field of emergency medicine.
Dr. Marion Collins and Chrissie embarked on an incredible journey, establishing MedicAlert Foundation as a non-profit organization. Being a charity was important to the Collins family from the very beginning.
“We’re not here to make money. We’re here to save lives,” Dr. Collins said.
When the Collins family started MedicAlert, they operated the foundation from their living room. They kept thick ledgers with hand-written health records of all members. Their home phone was the foundation’s emergency response line.
MedicAlert has come a long way since then. Today, all member health records are digitized on HIPAA-compliant servers. And our emergency response specialists operate 24/7 to provide first responders with the vital information they need to provide you with fast, accurate care in an emergency.
Today, the MedicAlert emblem is the globally recognized symbol for medical emergencies. First responders are trained to identify our IDs, and they count on the valuable information MedicAlert provides. Millions of people around the world trust MedicAlert to protect them every day.
As the remarkable legacy of the Collins family, MedicAlert Foundation’s work is as relevant as ever. But we couldn’t do it without your financial support.
Every day, MedicAlert handles many calls for people experiencing accidents or medical emergencies. As an organization, we gather weekly to listen to these calls. We do it to ensure our operations are efficient and effective. But we also listen to remind us of our “why.”
When you hear a heartfelt “thank you” from a first responder who got the information they needed to treat an unresponsive patient, or the relief in a mother’s voice when we call to tell her that her autistic child has been found, it makes all the work worthwhile.
Recently we asked our members to tell us in their own words how MedicAlert makes a difference in their lives. This is what your generous donations make possible:
My husband and I both have multiple medical conditions. He's had strokes and I have epilepsy. Paramedics have used my ID twice in emergencies to get all my health info. The reassurance MedicAlert gives is invaluable. No wealth or fame could equal the comfort of that simple MedicAlert ID.
My 24-year-old son has autism, and he tends to wander away. Thanks to MedicAlert’s Safe & Found services, every time Mathew has bolted he’s been returned home safely. Last time he was found walking along a busy freeway at 4 am! I hate to think what might have happened without MedicAlert.
I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure ten years ago. Since then, I've had several medical emergencies. Thankfully I always have my ICE Tag stickers and Smart Medical ID Card on me to give EMTs access to my medical history. Without MedicAlert, I probably wouldn't be here.
You can see why we’re so committed to carrying forward the MedicAlert Foundation’s legacy. Have you thought about your legacy?
August is National Make-a-Will Month, an annual reminder to update your will if needed, and create a will if you don’t have one already. Ensuring that your final wishes are carried out as you intend is a vital step in securing your legacy.
Everyone needs a will. One day, your family will be grateful you spared them the time, cost, and potential conflict that could happen otherwise. It’s never too early or too late to get started. FREEWILL is a trusted – and free! – resource for wills and other types of legacy giving.
By preparing your will or revocable trust now you’ll enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you’ve taken care of those you love and the causes that are important to you.
We would be deeply honored if you would consider a legacy gift to MedicAlert Foundation. Making a gift to MedicAlert through your will or trust is a simple and flexible way to help MedicAlert continue to save lives for many years to come.
Gifting through your will or trust gives you the freedom to choose when, how, and how much to give. There are charitable plans available that allow you to provide for your family, enjoy tax advantages, and support MedicAlert Foundation.
To learn more about how you can make a meaningful difference, please visit our Planned Giving page. You can also email plannedgiving@medicalert.org with questions or to start a discussion.
When you include MedicAlert Foundation in your will, trust, or as a beneficiary of an account, you’ll become a valued member of the Collins Legacy Society. Your thoughtful contribution will have a lasting impact for the many people who rely on MedicAlert to keep them safe.
Need help getting started? Use the tools from FreeWill to create your own will, trust, or beneficiary designations. You can also consult your attorney for advice.
As a donor to the MedicAlert Foundation, you play a vital role in shaping our ongoing story. Your support is the lifeline that enables us to continue providing life-saving services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Thank you for being the driving force enabling our team to save and protect more lives. Together, we share a commitment to preserve and expand the legacy established by the Collins family.