Living with Type 1 diabetes means carrying a lot of responsibility, and often, wearing it too. Between CGMs, insulin pumps, infusion sites, adhesive patches, and the supplies we keep nearby, diabetes can become physically visible in ways we do not always get to choose. Medical identification is another part of that safety routine, but for much of my childhood, it was one I resisted.
I understood the importance of wearing a medical ID. In an emergency, especially during severe hypoglycemia, confusion, loss of consciousness, or a situation where I could not communicate for myself, having my diagnosis clearly identified could help the people around me understand that Type 1 diabetes might be involved. What I struggled with was how medical IDs looked and felt because I resented yet another piece of medical equipment being imposed on my body.
That experience is part of what makes the story behind Lauren’s Hope so relevant to our T1D community. The company was founded after Lauren Philips, a 13-year-old girl with Type 1 diabetes, did not want to wear the traditional medical alert bracelets available to her. A family friend created a bracelet that combined medical identification with a more jewelry-like design, and that idea eventually grew into Lauren’s Hope.
About Lauren's Hope
Today, Lauren's Hope offers customizable medical ID bracelets, necklaces, watch accessories, and other styles for women, men, and children. Depending on the design, users can engrave medical conditions, allergies, medications, emergency contacts, and other important information directly onto the ID. The collection includes options in stainless steel, sterling silver, silicone, leather, gold-filled finishes, and more decorative styles. For people with Type 1 diabetes, a medical ID is only useful if someone is willing to wear it consistently, and personal preference can influence whether that happens.
Why Medical Identification Is Important with T1D
There are situations in which a person with Type 1 diabetes may be unable to explain what is happening or provide their medical history. Severe hypoglycemia, for example, can cause confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness. Accidents and unrelated medical emergencies can also leave someone unable to communicate.
A medical ID can quickly indicate that a person has diabetes, uses insulin, and may need glucose to give first responders or healthcare professionals useful context when assessing an emergency. It may be especially worth considering for people who spend time alone, travel frequently, exercise independently, attend school or camp away from family, live away from home, or regularly spend time with people who may be unaware of their health conditions.
For parents of children with T1D, medical identification can also become part of the transition toward greater independence. School field trips, sleepovers, sports, camps, driving, college, and travel all create situations where a parent or caregiver may not be present to explain a child’s diagnosis.
Who Lauren’s Hope May Be a Good Fit For
- Children beginning school or becoming more independent
- Teens who want a medical ID that reflects their personal style
- College students living away from home
- Adults who travel frequently
- Runners, athletes, hikers, and other people who are often active independently
- People living with allergies or other conditions requiring emergency identification
- Families looking for a meaningful gift after a loved one’s diagnosis
- Anyone who knows they should wear a medical ID but hasn’t found one they actually like wearing
Brooklynn's T1D Perspective
Growing up with T1D, I HATED wearing a medical bracelet. I knew why my parents insisted on it, especially at school, on field trips, while traveling, or anytime I was around unfamiliar people. But as a child, it felt like one more decision diabetes had made about my body.
Girlhood is already a time when you begin developing your own sense of style and learning what makes you feel pretty, feminine, confident, and comfortable in your own skin. You experiment with clothes, jewelry, makeup, trends, and different ways of expressing yourself. My experience of that stage of life happened alongside insulin pumps, tubing, CGMs, adhesives, infusion sites, and scarring. Diabetes already made me feel different, and wearing a thick silver and red medical band that looked nothing like the jewelry or styles all the other girls had only added to that feeling.
Learning to love a body that wears medical devices has not been easy for me. There have been times when I've felt completely confident showing my devices, and times I wished I could get dressed without first worrying about how I could hide them. I can be grateful for technology that keeps me alive and gives me more freedom while still acknowledging that wearing it has affected how I have felt in certain clothes, at certain ages, and in my own body. Gratitude does not cancel out vulnerability. And a girl's relationship with herself can be a VERY complicated journey.
For my Lauren’s Hope medical ID, I chose a gold-plated ID plate paired with a 12k gold crystal tennis bracelet band. It is sparkly, elegant, and looks like jewelry I would choose for myself. It fits naturally with pieces I already wear, and the interchangeable design lets me change the band without changing the medical information I need to carry.
For the first time, I enjoy wearing my medical bracelet.
When I was younger, all I really wanted was someone to consider how the things I was expected to wear every day made me feel. Childhood with a chronic illness taught me responsibility early, and much of my independence initially meant learning how to take care of myself correctly and consistently. Growing older has taught me another part of independence is getting to decide how diabetes fits into the rest of who I am. This bracelet still serves the same important purpose, but I no longer have to separate safety from the way I want to feel in my own skin. I can wear something that protects me and reflects me at the same time.
Thoughtful design cannot change the realities of living with Type 1 diabetes. It can, however, consider the person living those realities. When I fasten this bracelet, I think about the little girl who wanted to feel pretty without diabetes making one more "ugly" decision for her. I wish she could have known that growing up would bring a sense of pride and ownership. She would learn that taking care of herself could include honoring her safety, her body, her femininity, and her own taste all at once.
This bracelet cannot give her back the choices she did not have then. But wearing it now feels like giving her one. That choice gets to sparkle now too, and I love that.
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Brooklynn Hamilton
Since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of 3, Brooklynn has been a passionate advocate for T1D research, representing the T1D community at many events and media appearances and helping to raise over $600,000 for T1D research. In her role as a T1D Youth Ambassador, she spoke at the JDRF Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C., Stanford University, and Americans for Cures to promote funding for stem cell research initiatives and the NIH Special Diabetes Program. Brooklynn graduated from Texas Christian University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is now excited to use her skills and voice as DRC’s Outreach and Development Coordinator to continue to drive research forward and advance breakthroughs in T1D cures for herself and the millions of others living with T1D.
