Did you know that free Medical IDs are available to people with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (VEDS) through The VEDS Movement? Thanks to a generous donation from the Daskal Family Foundation for the VEDS Emergency Awareness Project, and through a partnership with Sticky J, a medical ID bracelet company, bracelets are now available to people affected by VEDS in the United States, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Requests for free Medical IDs can be submitted here.
People with VEDS are at a high risk of life-threatening complications like arterial ruptures and dissections (including the aorta), organ ruptures (particularly the bowel and uterus), carotid-cavernous sinus fistula, and lung collapse. A wearable medical ID is an important tool in helping communicate these risks to first responders and medical staff in an emergency, especially if someone is unable to communicate their medical history.
VEDS, which is a rare form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed until a major life-threatening medical event. People with VEDS frequently describe their long road to diagnosis, as well as emergency department visits where physicians have confused them for having a less dangerous condition. The lack of familiarity with VEDS among emergency physicians frequently leads to errors in triage and treatment. Some common hospital procedures can even be harmful to individuals with VEDS. This is something many in the VEDS community know all too well.
We are so grateful for Dr. Daskal’s generosity and commitment to improving the lives of those living with VEDS, and are honored to assist in providing such an important resource to the community.
Ryan Rodarmer, Director, The VEDS Movement
Medical IDs provide an additional critical resource for affected individuals in an emergency and supplement the materials in our VEDS Emergency Preparedness Kit, available for free here.
This VEDS Emergency Awareness project kicked off in 2022 and will help raise awareness on VEDS among emergency medical providers and provide complimentary medical alert bracelets to people in the VEDS community.
Note: We’ve recently discovered that our Italian community members receiving free medical bracelets for Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) may be subject to additional duty charges. In light of this, we’re actively exploring ways to reimburse these individuals for any extra costs incurred during shipment, ensuring everyone can access our supportive resources without financial barriers. If you’ve incurred additional duty charges and are seeking reimbursement, please reach out directly to Joy at jfoote@thevedsmovement.org – we’re here to support you and ensure these essential resources remain accessible.
Sign up for updates from The VEDS Movement here.
