Minutes mattered to us just the other day, when Elian (3) got stung by a bee. We didn’t know he was allergic to bees until then. Now I am on high alert all the time. When there is a water day at school, I panic. When there is ice cream or fizzy drinks nearby, I choose the table in the farthest corner. I am constantly nervous. So much so that I’ve even been contemplating whether we should move, since our home is encircled with Jacaranda trees – a favourite for Pretoria’s buzzing bees. When Elian is not with me, I can’t help but feel worried. How will whomever is with him know what to do if he gets stung again? What can we as his parents do to ensure that he is as well looked after and as well equipped as humanly possible? I mean, in the end we’re never really in control and only God knows what tomorrow brings. Still, we do have a responsibility to do what we can to keep him safe and in situations like these, a medical bracelet is probably a good start.

First steps first

Step one is probably to look into how we can let other people know he is allergic to bees. The school needs to be informed – both in writing and in person – about the situation and about what needs to happen should he get stung while at school.

Wear it on your sleeve

I’ve always had a thing about telling people things about myself that might make them think differently of me. I’ve been wearing glasses (and later contact lenses) since I was in grade four and sometimes it made me feel like my body wasn’t working the way it should be. It made me feel week. I can imagine that allergies or certain conditions can make you experience the same feeling. But, wearing your allergy or your condition on your sleeve in the form of a medical bracelet is not a bad idea. Why? Well, firstly, fashion and aesthetics aren’t even in the equation when you’re in a situation where minutes matter. And, apart from the fact that with a medical bracelet you will have all the most important information on you, wearing it will also alert those around you and guide their reactions should something happen to you while they are close by.

What should be on your medical bracelet?

According to Nadine Westermann from Stunning Silver Jewellery, the space on a medical bracelet is often rather limited, hence you can really just put the most important info on it. That includes your ID number, an emergency contact person’s contact number and your allergy or a specific condition like Diabetes or that you have a pacemaker.

Make your medical bracelet something special

Since it’s already hard to wear it on your sleeve (so to speak), why not at least make it into something you would actually want to wear? Stunning Silver Jewellery’s medical bracelets are designed in such a way that most people (not sure about 2-year-old boys…I’ll have to test it out) would want to wear it. They custom make it with a choice of plate width and bracelet length. You can choose all of this online and indicate exactly what information needs to be included on the bracelet. In Elian’s case, we might have to add an EpiPen as lifesaving medication onto the bracelet.

Stunning Silver’s medical bracelets are made from 100% 935 Sterling Silver and the manufacturing time should not take longer than two weeks.

READ: How to look after your wedding ring

Moral of the story, don’t let your fear of wearing your imperfections on your sleeve keep you from getting the lifesaving treatment you might need when minutes matter. A simple, elegant medical bracelet can truly be the one thing that saves your life.

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