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My jewellery could save my life 鈥� why this student can鈥檛 leave home without a bracelet

23 March 2018

When we leave the house we all reach for our keys, wallet and phone. These are the essentials most of us will, hopefully, remember.

But every time 19-year-old Hayley Argyle nips out, she has to remember an item that’s even more important — a bracelet.

Hayley has type 1 diabetes and wears the special bracelet which is inscribed with her name and condition.

“Even on a night out it’s in the back of your head that you’ve got to have your ID bracelet”, she explained.

Hayley is one of 400,000 people in the UK living with type 1 diabetes.

It’s a serious autoimmune condition, where the body is unable to produce insulin. Complications from the condition can affect the eyes, heart, kidneys and nerves.

Hayley’s ID bracelet is a simple yet potentially lifesaving aid. It could help in the event of her suddenly becoming unwell, if her blood sugar becomes too high or too low.

She advises that it’s best to be upfront about diabetes.

“It’s very important for people around you to know how to test your blood sugar or give you an injection if you’re ever unable to.”

But there may come a time when Hayley will need to rely on the kindness of strangers, and that’s the point of the bracelet.

“Most people with a condition will have one of these. If someone were to collapse on the street always check, some people have a necklace, I have a bracelet. It’s always worth checking because that can really help the situation massively.”

How type 1 diabetes affects lives

  • Amber McGrath will spend the rest of her life monitoring her blood glucose level constantly.

  • The first trial of a pioneering therapy to slow the advance of type 1 diabetes has shown it is safe.

  • What happens when you have type 1 diabetes and misuse insulin in order to dramatically lose weight?

  • Muhammad Ali, 24, has type 1 diabetes and wants the British Boxing Board of Control to allow him to fight.

What to do in a a diabetic emergency

  • St John鈥檚 Ambulance advice on how to deal with attacks of hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia.

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