The most dependable emergency support networkTM Fall 2013 news FUN & SAFETY FOR YOUR CHILD THIS LOOK INSIDE FOR ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY OFFERS Holiday Season AND YEAR-END REMINDERS > The holidays are an exciting time for kids and bring on Christmas trees and lights. If you plan to use an artificial precious memories that they will cherish for years to come. Christmas tree, make sure it is fire resistant and if you’re Here at MedicAlert, we want to help make these holidays an purchasing a real tree, place it away from the fireplace and exciting and safe time for your children, which is why we’ve keep it well-hydrated. When lighting the Christmas tree come up with some valuable tips for keeping your child safe or your home, make sure the wiring isn’t broken and that during this fun time of year. burnt bulbs are replaced. If placing lights outside the home, make sure you use “outdoor” lights. Visiting family and friends. In our own homes, we feel much more confident in the safety of our children as we’ve often Toy awareness. Only purchase toys that are suitable for taken the steps to “childproof” and protect by locking medicine your child’s age group. Avoid toys with batteries and plugs cabinets, securing gates around pools, or eliminating certain for children under 10 years old. Choking is a serious concern foods that our children may be allergic to. However, it’s hard to for young children and parents should avoid toys with small guarantee those steps have been taken in friends and relatives’ or multiple parts as they can pose a choking hazard. homes and that is why parents must be vigilant and watchful during travels. Plan ahead and don’t hesitate to contact friends Travel notification.If you are traveling out of state or out and family about your concerns before traveling. of the country during the holidays, please ensure your emergency contacts and loved ones are informed of your Be safe in crowds. Always ensure your child is wearing his/ travels. her MedicAlert ID. Their MedicAlert medical ID will allow first responders to easily identify any underlying medical conditions your child may have. YEAR-END MEET SOPHIA AND LEARN WHY ANTONIO & GUISEPPE: REMINDERS YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS LITTLE SUPER HEROS the president’s Corner Year-End Reminders As the weather cools and the fun festivities of the holidays come knocking 2013 Tax-Deductible Giving on our doors, it brings our lives into perspective and reminds us of what Every year we are thankful for our members truly matters; our family, friends, and good health. Since 1956, MedicAlert and your charitable giving. Charitable gifts to Foundation has experienced many holiday seasons, and throughout MedicAlert can helps save lives, and provides you that time, our staff has been protecting and saving lives by providing with special tax benefits. Please make your tax- first responders and health professionals with vital information to help deductible gift by December 31st - and know that safeguard you and your loved ones. This will always be our primary you’re helping to make a difference. mission. Now, with a new holiday season approaching, we’re taking steps to further broaden the impact of our services and looking at new ways to Flex Spending Dollars for share information with our members. MedicAlert FSA MedicAlert memberships and products That’s why it’s exciting for me to announce MedicAlert’s new “network” of are qualified reimbursable expenses emergency medical identification providers. The marketplace for medical under Flexible Spending Accounts IDs is constantly changing and there are no formal standards to protect (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Don’t consumers on the safety of IDs, protection of personal health information, lose your account balance at the end of the year - the correct use of medical terminology or even basic business practices. invest it in your health and protection. It is really a “buyer beware” situation that can place unsuspecting For specific information on medical FSAs, talk to your consumer’s health and personal privacy at risk. human resources department or tax specialist. This exclusive “network” will include organizations that strictly adhere to Black Friday-Cyber Monday MedicAlert’s Code of Conduct and ensure that consumers are benefiting Be sure to visit from quality service and consumer protections. The new “network” is www.medicalert.org during the designed to elevate standards among medical ID providers and further Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend for expand our efforts to protect lives by ensuring medical IDs bought from special Black Friday-Cyber Monday participating network organizations are backed by MedicAlert’s emergency deals. Special offers will be available for both new response services and readily identifiable by emergency personnel. and current members. We are pleased to announce that Hope Paige Medical ID Marketplace Holiday Gift Certificates is the first participant in our integrated “network” of elite emergency Holiday gift shopping just got easier! medical identification providers. The partnership with Hope Paige has MedicAlert members can now resulted in the offering of MedicAlert’s emergency response services purchase gift certificates online at with selected Hope Paige medical IDs, through the Hope Paige website. www.medicalert.org/certificate. Gift Additionally, we will be adding a “Hope Paige Collection” to our medical ID certificates are available in amounts of $50 or $100. catalog – look for these new products as they will be released soon. We are also excited to also announce the beginning of our all new online MedicAlert Blog, aptly titled “Behind the Bracelet”. Our blog will provide you with ‘behind the scene’ information about the products and services we offer, and will introduce you to various members of the MedicAlert “Behind the Bracelet” team and our featured partners. You’ll find articles and tips about a wide www.medicalert.org/blog range of topics such as autism-related wandering, diabetes meal options, traveling with allergies, caregiver tools, and much more. With the holidays just around the corner, we want to wish you a safe and happy holiday season and thank you for your continued support of our nonprofit, charitable mission. May your homes be filled with happiness and joy throughout this special time of year. From our family to yours, Andrew B. Wigglesworth President & CEO ([email protected]) “I wear it so people can know what I’m allergic to and who to call. It helps keep me safe.” - Sophia, age 8 Just One Reason Why Every time little Sophia would go to school, family’s Meet Sophia Your Support Matters houses, a play date, or a field trip, Terri lived with the fear that an accidental ingestion of a food Sophia was Every mother’s worst nightmare is the possibility of severely allergic to could recur. Obviously, Terri could seeing her child at the brink of death. For Terri Schreiber, not follow Sophia around each and every day. Instead, mother of eight-year-old Sophia, her nightmare became Terri learned about the MedicAlert Foundation. For the a reality when Sophia was three and ingested a single last five years, Terri has protected Sophia by requiring cashew and went into anaphylactic shock. Sophia to wear a MedicAlert Medical ID bracelet. Since Sophia was weeks old, she began exhibiting “To know that with a phone call a medical professional symptoms, which later were diagnosed as food and can convey as much information as I would about environment allergies. In her first three years, Sophia my daughter’s medical needs reduces my stress. was allergic to simple foods such as milk and eggs. She MedicAlert has given me more freedom. Knowing also developed environmental allergies to grass, trees, Sophia wears the emblem and the MedicAlert team weeds, and furry animals. Life for a severely allergic has all the necessary information to help in an person requires attention, medication, and ongoing emergency helps me breathe and sleep easier.” training of care providers. At eight-years-old, Sophia enjoys reading, writing, When Sophia turned three, it was determined they could gymnastics, horseback riding and riding her bike. She is reintroduce previous allergens to her diet such as tree exceptionally bright and exhibits maturity well beyond nuts. After Sophia ate one cashew, Terri watched in utter her eight years. horror as her daughter’s face and torso turned bright red, her lovely blue eyes rolled back into her head, and her Without the help of our members and donors, children toddler began vomiting violently while experiencing an like Sophia would not receive the same freedom, peace anaphylactic shock reaction to the cashew. Terri called of mind or safety net of services you rely on each and 911, and was instructed to immediately push an EpiPen® every day. Please save a life today by making your tax into her daughter’s leg. Terri’s quick action and the deductible gift. EpiPen® saved Sophia’s life that night, but the experience would not be forgotten. TAX-DEDUCTIBLE GIFT OPTIONS Phone: 1.888.525.5174 Mail: Use the enclosed envelope Web: www.medicalert.org/donate Antonio & Giuseppe: The Tale of Two Little Super Heros Recently, MedicAlert held its “Super Hero” photo contest on Facebook where parents shared photos of their little superheroes dressed in their capes and masks and displaying their extraordinary strength. We received many heart-warming entries and more than 500 hundred votes were casted. As the contest came to a close, two extraordinary brothers, Antonio and Giuseppe, were the evident winners of the MedicAlert Super Hero Contest. Since stealing our hearts on Facebook, we wished to share more about the tale of these two little super heros: Six year old Antonio and four year old Giuseppe were born with Congenital Glaucoma, a condition that leads to abnormally high pressure within the eye.