Lauren’s Hope Medical ID Jewelry Gets A+ From Onespot Allergy

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Le Ann Carlson, the owner of Lauren’s Hope medical ID bracelets. Lauren’s Hope was the first company to make medical identification products fashionable. When they started, you could only buy unattractive medical ID products at the drugstore or buy a piece of real jewelery and have it engraved, hoping that someone would recognize that it has medical information on it. As innovators, Lauren’s Hope is the leader in fashionable and fun medical ids, which are balanced with function. Onespot Allergy readers receive 10% off at Lauren’s Hope. Click here to order and use coupon code ONESPOT13 at check out to save 10%.

When I review a product, I always test a sample or two. I had planned to request a medical i.d. bracelet for my husband, who is allergic to tetracycline, but as I went through the list of medical conditions on the Lauren’s Hope website**, a more important purpose for the bracelets came to mind: I’d like my mother and stepfather to wear identification.

My stepfather is in his eighties and has some memory issues, and he often takes walks alone. I’d like a bracelet to speak for him if he gets lost or falls, so that my mother can be called. My mother was hit by a car not long ago while crossing the street. Had she lost consciousness and been separated from her purse, no one would have known who to call. It gives me peace of mind to know that from now on they’ll each be wearing a medical ID that includes their name and their emergency contact information, even though they don’t have serious medical conditions. As an aside, we learned that it’s important to register my stepfather with the Alzheimer’s Society so that if he goes missing, police will search for him immediately, rather than require that he be missing for 24 hours first.

When I browsed through the Lauren’s Hope website, I was amazed by the variety of bracelets and tags for men, women, boys, and girls. I’ve set out several of my favorite designs in the chart below. My stepfather had been resistant to wearing anything (I think it upsets him to have memory issues) but when I linked my request to my mom’s safety and her car accident, his resistance melted away and he could see that there’s a good reason for them both to be identifiable. I had the men’s stainless steel bracelets page open for him to view, and he quickly settled on this Stealth bracelet, which he found very attractive.

What took a little more time was narrowing down a bracelet for my mother, simply because there are A LOT of very attractive options. Lauren’s Hope employs designers that have made beautiful beaded and cast jewelry. We finally decided on the Blooming Cute bracelet, which contains a sterling silver centerpiece accented with strands of sleek balis and smooth round beads. Gone are the days when a medical ID bracelet was ugly. These are fashion forward and reasonably priced, so you can pick out different ones for different outfits. I’m certain my mother will get many compliments on hers, which is a neutral one she plans to wear every day.

It’s very important that people who have a medical condition, have food or drug allergies, or take medications wear an ID bracelet or tag. Any of these conditions may alter the treatment you might normally receive. If you are a caregiver, you too should wear a medical ID to alert emergency personnel of your loved one who needs attention. Your medical identification jewelry speaks for you when you can’t.

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for kids with food allergies to wear medical IDs. My son, shown in this photo at age 2, has worn one since he was diagnosed that year with peanut and tree nut allergies. Imagine your child is found alone and non-responsive, already in poor shape from a food allergic reaction. Without an ID, rescuers would wonder did he choke, have a seizure, did he fall and hit his head… Nothing would guide them to think of an allergic reaction, and time is of the essence, since receiving epinephrine within the first 5 minutes of the start of a serious reactions saves lives. Were he wearing a medical ID, the bystander who finds him and the emergency medical personnel who later arrive will be alerted to the possibility that he’s having a severe allergic reaction and act according to your instructions. I suggest the wording: Peanut Allergy / Use EpiPen & Call 911 / Mom’s Cell #.

Parents of allergic children should also consider wearing medical IDs. If something happens to you, your bracelet will alert those caring for your children during the emergency of their allergies (imagine emergency crews handing your child an allergen containing cookie to calm her down). The medical identification system protects in so many ways.

Many other brands of ID jewelry use poor quality materials in their products and buy from inferior suppliers. Lauren’s Hope products are top quality because:

• They are considered nickel free (less than 300 ppm in stainless or under 600 ppm in other types).
• They’re latex free.
• They use sterling silver, gold, and bronze, not base metals in their components. Some people become sensitized to metals when on prescription medication, so this is very important.
• The enameled red medical symbol, called a Caduceus, is covered with a durable clear coat, so it won’t rub off.
• The engraving is deep, so that it won’t wear down and will remain legible for years to come.
• Lauren’s Hope provides a six month warranty. After that period, should a bracelet become damaged, you can return it to Lauren’s Hope repairs for a $10 fee, and this service is available indefinitely.
• Lauren’s Hope has donated $100,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and they sponsor walks and runs in support of finding a cure for food allergies.

I love that unlike MedicAlert®, there is no membership fee to pay prior to purchasing Lauren’s Hope products. There are even options under $40, and medical alert backpack or diaper bag tags.

Here are some of my favorite Lauren’s Hope products:

If you’d like to do a guest blog article on Lauren’s Hope products, email jenna@laurenshope.com.

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** It is recommended that you wear a medical ID if you have any of the following conditions: DIABETES, HEART PATIENT, PACEMAKER,HEART STENTS, ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE, ARRHYTHMIA, LYMPHEDEMA ALERT, ASTHMA, TAKING COUMADIN,STROKE, PEANUT ALLERGY, FOOD ALLERGY, PENICILLIN ALLERGY, SULFA ALLERGY, LATEX ALLERGY, ALLERGIC TO CEPHALOSPORINS, ALLERGIC TO MORPHINE, ALLERGIC TO CONTRAST DYE, BEE STING ALLERGY, ON BLOOD THINNER, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT, LAP BAND PATIENT, VON WILLEBRAND’S, HEMOPHILIA, ALZHEIMERS, MEMORY IMPAIRED, MANIC DEPRESSIVE, SCHIZOPHRENIA, HEARING IMPAIRED, COCHLEAR IMPLANT, SIGHT IMPAIRED, ORGAN TRANSPLANT, HYPERTENSION, HYPOTHYROIDISM, ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY, AUTISM, COPD, SEIZURE DISORDER, EPILEPSY, ON MULTIPLE MEDICATIONS, NO MRI, AND ANY OTHER CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS