Imagine you’re out for the evening when suddenly your blood sugar drops, you feel a sharp pain in your chest, or you can’t breathe. “It’s possible,” says Françoise Faverjon-Fortin, CEO of MedicAlert Foundation Canada, the country’s long-standing charity that helps protect Canadians during a health crisis.
The Public Health Agency of Canada notes that 44% of Canadians over the age of 20 have at least one chronic health condition. That’s one reason why when first responders arrive on scene, they’re trained to look for a MedicAlert ID, which can make a critical difference when every second counts.
Faverjon-Fortin and her team are on a mission to protect more Canadians. “MedicAlert IDs save lives, but not enough people wear them,” she says. That’s why MedicAlert has started the 25/25 Pledge, which aims to get 25% of the population who need a medical ID to subscribe to the MedicAlert service by 2025.
“MedicAlert isn’t just an ID, it’s a secure database with emergency health information our subscribers share with us,” says Faverjon-Fortin. “Behind the data is an entire team of first responders, health experts, and subscriber service representatives who work together to speak for you when you cannot.”
