Guelph tattoo artist finds market for MedicAlert tattoos

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Guelph tattoo artist finds market for MedicAlert tattoos
November 25, 2010
JOANNE SHUTTLEWORTH
GuelphMercury.com

GUELPH — Emma Bortolon-Vettor has lost her MedicAlert bracelet for the last time.

With her life-threatening health condition now permanently etched on her forearm, the Guelph woman, who is attending Ryerson University, in Toronto, doesn’t have to worry about losing the special MedicAlert jewelry that links paramedics and emergency personnel to her medical file if she was ever in an accident and unable to speak for herself.

“It was a challenge,” said Heather Myles, the Guelph tattoo artist and owner of InkSmith Tattoos who made up the stencil and did the work for Bortolon-Vettor.

Myles used to be a nurse and understands the crucial role of the MedicAlert system. The engraved tag tells paramedics that someone is allergic to penicillin or peanuts, or has diabetes or a heart condition, for example.

Bortolon-Vettor has congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is a condition she described “like diabetes for the adrenal gland.”

“I don’t produce cortisol and can’t balance my electrolytes. Basically, without the right treatment I dehydrate and then it’s kaput,” she said in an interview.

Bortolon-Vettor said she’s worn a MedicAlert bracelet since she was a kid and has lost her fair share of them. She was on a cruise once and needed medical attention and, fortunately, had her bracelet, but it struck her then how smart it would be to have a backup.

“It was always a joke when I was younger,” she said. “You know, ‘If you lose another bracelet, I’m going to tattoo it on your arm!’”

Myles said she had to restrain her creativity for this job. Accuracy and legibility are what matter for this tattoo.

She went with a straightforward copy—the familiar symbol and beside it Bortolon-Vettor’s condition, her unique ID number, and the emergency telephone number.

“I really felt I had to make the symbol unmistakable or medical staff won’t take it seriously,” Myles said. “So it’s bold, plain and nothing fancy.”

Robert Ridge, president of MedicAlert Canada, doesn’t see anything wrong with a MedicAlert tattoo when used to supplement the existing program.

“The tattoo is very much a niche response,” Ridge said. “Most people would choose the bracelet or necklace. And emergency responders have been trained to look for the bracelet, not a tattoo.”

Still, “I saw a photo of the tattoo and this one is quite clear. There’s probably no harm as a complement to our program.”

Ridge said members pay an annual fee, which keeps their medical file current. Tattoo wearers would still have to pay the fee.

While not exactly a trend, Myles said she has another MedicAlert tattoo booked for a client in December.