In case of emergency (ICE)

Nobody likes to think about the possibility of being in an accident or getting seriously hurt or worse but for quite a long period a thought would pop into my head. That thought was that it would be good to have something on me that would help someone who found me if I was involved in an accident or a paramedic or whoever by having a way of giving them information even if I couldn't tell them myself. Information like the fact I have Treacher Collins Syndrome and I have a narrow airway. I had done a limited search before but had only come across things like medical alert bracelets or necklaces which is a bit over the top in my case and I wasn't fussed on the idea of having to wear a piece of jewelry. I carried out a more thorough search recently and after finding lots of expensive options like jewelry or subscriptions to services with fancy cards with codes you can scan with your phone I came across this brilliant website-https://geticecard.com/.

It is a FREE, SIMPLE service. There is a form on the website, you fill in details such as your own name, mobile number, gender, blood type, two emergency contacts, their phone numbers and their relation to you and whether you want your organs to be donated if you die. There is also a bigger box where you can fill in health information. So in my case I have included the fact I have Treacher Collins Syndrome, a narrow airway, that I require fiber-optic intubation through the throat, that I wear a bone conductor hearing aid, that I have speech difficulties and the antibiotic that I'm allergic to. It then automatically generates a .pdf file with two ICE cards on it with the information you filled in on the form. You then print out the file (make sure you disable scaling or in the case of my printer select the option to print it as the actual size) and cut out the cards. They are credit card sized and can easily slip into your wallet/purse or phone case if you have one with credit card slots. You can also do what I did and get them laminated but you might find you need to trim them a bit to get them to fit in the credit card sized slots.

Obviously I hope they will never have to be used but I think it is a good and sensible precaution to take. One thing that I didn't think about until after I had them printed was that a paramedic or someone else wouldn't be able to access my phone due to the fingerprint scanner/swipe pattern I have set up. The fact is you don't need to have TCS or even a serious condition to get one and given the fact it is a free service you might be better safe than sorry especially if there is anything a doctor or a paramedic might be better off knowing if you are hurt or ill.

Thanks for reading.