Medic alert bracelet broke

19 replies [Last post]
CVB in CA's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10/15/1999

After 4 1/2 years my son's medic alert bracelet broke. This was the 5 inch stainless steel bracelet. One of the links broke. It seems to have worn through as the broken link is missing. The chain part broke about one third of the way down one side.

I guess we will be doing bracelet inspection periodically on the new one.

ssmd's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 08/07/2003

Hi

Just thought I would let you know that we had the same problem with our braclet. Only it was about 1.5 years old, the same size and ss. Also a friend of ours had the same problem with the same problem.

We have both switched to the childrens' sports bands. They seem to be much more secure.

good luck

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ssmd mom of 3

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ssmd mom of 3

Heather2's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 09/25/2001

FYI - MedicAlert doesn't charge for a new bracelet. DS just outgrew his old one and they sent me a new bracelet.

ssmd's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 08/07/2003

Did you have to send the small bracelet back to Medic-Alert? We are in Canada and when I called regarding ours breaking , I was told they would repair it for a fee. I could have just said that it was too small and requested a new one then?

Good to keep in mind for next time, Thanks.

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ssmd mom of 3

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ssmd mom of 3

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ssmd mom of 3

Heather2's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 09/25/2001

I didn't send the small one back. We threw it out. I think you could have asked for a new, bigger chain. Then you just have to get some needle nose pliers (I hope I spelled that right) and attach the chain to the emblem yourself.

nava's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 06/12/2001

I paid for a new, slightly larger medic alert bracelet for my daughter one month ago, when she showed me that her old one was getting tight. The new one fit well, and no way was it too big or coming off. Last night, she was washing her hands and showed me that her bracelet was gone. She's almost five. She had no idea what happened to it. She has had it since age 2 and has never had it off. She doesn't play with it or anything. When I called medic alert, they told me that unless I could mail them the bracelet so they could see it is defective, I will have to pay for a new one. Any suggestions?

CVB in CA's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10/15/1999

Medic alert did not offer to replace mine for free, we paid full price for a new one.

Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Jesse has actually been going to school without a MedicAlert bracelet attached to his arm because his broke during the summer. I think he actually lost one of the links, the big links that attachs to the emblem part. At any rate, I seemed to have this problem ALL this past year with his NEW bracelet (which I did pay for the new larger bracelet, although I didn't ask if I could get a larger one for free). Constantly breaking. And me constantly sending it back to MedicAlert to have them fix it.

This time, I'm going to take it to a local jeweller (hopefully, we have one! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) to have them look at it and fix it up. His new one has irritated me since he got it, which would be in time for school last year and it has done nothing but break or come loose. I am not pleased.

The only positive thing I can say about him NOT having the bracelet on is that he has his MedicAlert Epi-belt on, but still.

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

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CVRTBB's picture
User offline. Last seen 1 year 3 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11/23/2001

Timmy had the Medic Alert sportsband for about a year and a half before it broke. I could not afford another one so I finally bought a generic Medic Alert Bracelet from Wal-Mart for about $5.00 and took the emblem and half the links off and put his emblem on. It has worked great! He did get some teasing at school about a boy wearing a bracelet but the teacher read the class the "No Nuts for Me" book and the teasing stopped.

HTH,
Valerie

ajas_folks's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 04/28/2000

I took my sterling silver Medic Alert bracelet to a jeweler & had them solder shut the links that held on the emblem & the clasp. That bracelet has taken quite a licking & is still in good shape 15 years later. I've considered having a jeweler double up the links on our son's bracelet at the emblem & at the clasp. I've never had a Medic Alert bracelet break mid-chain. (Yet.)
EB

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Elisabeth's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 07/11/2003

One possible source for bracelets is [url="http://www.medic-id.com/"]http://www.medic-id.com/[/url]

Another possibility is [url="http://www.identifind.com"]www.identifind.com[/url]

For something that hangs from a neckchain, there is [url="http://www.escopes.com"]http://www.escopes.com[/url]

[This message has been edited by Elisabeth (edited October 16, 2003).]

leers's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 07/09/2001

Yes, my son's bracelet broke too. The link holding the emblem broke. My husband has fixed it so many times. Great idea about getting one from Walmart and readjusting the one I got. Thanks.

cathlina's picture
User offline. Last seen 16 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 06/29/2001

I took mine to a jewelry store and they fixed it for nothing when I asked them if they could fix it on the spot since I needed to wear it.

ElleMo's picture
User offline. Last seen 1 year 26 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 06/19/2003

I bought my daughter a silver chain for her braclet. It is a little pretty than the standard medic alert chain & doesn't make her stand out as much -- it looks like it could be a bracelet. It has a five year warranty.

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Ellen
Allergic to Shellfish/ Mom to Jesse 9/01 who has PA

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Elle
Allergic to Shellfish
Mom to Jesse 2001, allergic to peanuts, legumes, chickpeas

Sometimes I just want to say "blah blah blah blah blah."

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Elle
Allergic to Shellfish
Mom to Jesse 2001, allergic to peanuts, legumes, chickpeas

Sometimes I just want to say "blah blah blah blah blah."

marina_twinmom's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 09/06/2001

Does anyone know what the difference is between the child's stainless steel bracelet and the "small emblem basic stainless steel bracelet"? Does the child's version have a thinner chain, or a smaller emblem?

The photos on the MedicAlert web site look identical except for the emblem. The child's emblem has a raised metal top, and the other one has a stamped red-enameled top.

Donni's picture
User offline. Last seen 2 years 14 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11/06/2000

My 5-year-old son has been wearing a sports band since August of last year. It's a bit thread-bare and stained. (He's very active in the sand box at school...not to mention the mud!) During the hot weather, he gets a rash under the band. We have to change the band from one wrist to the other every day and usually remove it at night. He can't go into the pool with it on as a rash develops. In the cold winter months, he has had no problem with it.

It took a lot of talking (a couple of months!) but finally, he was agreeable to wearing a "regular" bracelet if it had the red emblem. Thus, I ordered the small emblem and not the child-size of the regular stainless steel type. In comparing the two emblems, yes, the small size is a bit larger than the child-size but I wouldn't call it a lot bigger. My son has a size 5 1/4 wrist so I had to order a 6" bracelet. It's just a bit loose but it doesn't come off even in the pool or bath.

Personally, I prefer the red on the medic alert emblem. It is more noticable. I want people to notice his bracelet--as a reminder if they already know about his allergies, or as a topic of conversation so they can learn about his allergies, and, of course, in a real medical emergency I don't want anyone to miss seeing the medic alert emblem.

kkeene's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10/20/2003

When i got my sons I think I had to pay like $25 and then its about 10-15 a year after & I get a free chain with the membership. so I think I will be replacing it every year.

Just a question but is there more the one Medic Alert service???

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DS(6 1/2yrs)-PA,EA,Legumes & Cat
Step son (18y) NKA

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DS(6 1/2yrs)-PA,EA,Legumes & Cat
Step son (18y) NKA

Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

kkeene, there are other bracelets that you can purchase - but there is only Medic Alert that has a 1-800 service, and updates info.

mcmom's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 06/15/2004

Will the (Medic Alert US) sportsband fit on a 4 or 5 year old? I wanted to get the soccer one for my son, but it said 9 inches, which is a few too big for him - are they able to be adjusted?

mcmom's picture
User offline. Last seen 3 years 17 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 06/15/2004

Answering my own question, just in case anyone else wanted the information: the medic alert sportsbands can be adjusted to as small as 5 1/2 inches.

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