With chronic illness and food allergies on the rise, it’s important to alert others of any medical issues should an urgent situation arise. A medical alert bracelet is a fantastic way to do that, but most are generic and boring looking. Kids especially are not going to wear it regardless of its importance. If this sounds like you or someone you know, then Rayn Bands, the modern medical bracelet, is meant for you.
Disclosure: I received these products complimentary from Rayn Bands in exchange for a product review. Although this is a sponsored post, the following review is my honest opinion. Read my full disclosure policy.
Allergic Reactions are Progressive
One of the first things my husband and I learned when becoming parents was the possibility of our kids developing common allergies to dairy and nuts. Our physician told us what signs to look for in an allergic reaction and what to do should a reaction occur. What they didn’t prepare us for is how a reaction can manifest, what it can look like at the time of a reaction, and the future of living with a severe food allergy.
How we discovered our oldest son’s peanut allergy was slow and spread over a few years. The first exposure we had to an allergic reaction was when Gabe was two. Our physician assured it was okay to try peanut with him, so I gave him a peanut butter cookie. The reaction was mild, and he only had slight redness around his mouth.
What his physician didn’t tell us (or maybe she didn’t know), is that a reaction can be cumulative. Meaning, it will escalate in severity with each repeated exposure. Not knowing this vital piece of information, I gave him peanut butter again AFTER being encouraged to do so by his physician.
Let me pause for a moment to say this: After this experience, I learned to do additional research on topics regardless of our physician’s advice/suggestion/recommendation. A doctor is a person and is bound to make unintentional mistakes despite vast amounts of information. This particular situation was one of those unintentional mistakes.
What an Allergic Reaction Can Look Like
The second time around was more drastic. Within a minute or so of consuming the peanut, Gabe’s tongue became swollen, his mouth and stomach was itchy, and a rash broke out on his stomach and mouth area. Tim and I knew right away he was having an allergic reaction, but we were uncertain on what to do.
Should we give him meds? But we were uncertain of which type.
Should we call an ambulance? But he was breathing fine and was coherent.
Should we call our physician or take him to urgent care or the emergency room?
In the span of five minutes we had given him a dose of Benadryl and was driving him to the closest emergency room. We weren’t freaking out necessarily, but we knew it was serious and he needed to be seen right away.
Once we were admitted and seen by the physician (we were swiftly taken to the back due to the circumstances), we realized how progressive and severe these reactions can be. We were truly grateful that our situation was mild compared to what could have happened. Despite being aware of the very real possibility of common food allergies, we had the mentality of ‘it won’t happen to us’. Looking back, we realize how ignorant that is.
The attending emergency room physician did give us a mild fatherly type of scolding for driving him to the emergency room instead of calling an ambulance. However, he did understand our confusion of what to do in our situation of a mild reaction, and instructed us how to properly handle the situation should it happen again. We were grateful for his guidance and patience with us.
Moving Forward with a Peanut Allergy
That day Gabe was prescribed an epipen and we were instructed on how to use it, where to keep it, and what to do after using it (should we have to use it). It was a truly informative situation and an eye-opening experience.
Some kids can have exposure shots by an allergist in an attempt to get ‘rid’ of the allergy. Unfortunately, Gabe is not one of those kids. Repeated tests by our allergist has confirmed the severity of his case, and he will always be dependent on an epipen. This means an epipen in the house, one with us, and one at the nurse’s station at school.
According to Food Allergy Research & Education, “5.9 million children have food allergies” and the majority of those reactions are peanuts, tree nuts, and seafood allergies. The same report indicates that food allergies among children are projected to increase at a rate of 2.1%.
With this allergy and at his age, Gabe knows he cannot have peanuts. His experiences have rooted that avoidance in him. He’s not scared of peanuts or worried he will ingest them. Asking questions about food served to him and declining unknown foods is how he addresses it.
A peanut allergy does not mean there’s an allergy to tree nuts. Peanuts are a nut, but are grown differently than a walnut, pecan, or other tree nut. It’s unique how the peanut plant yields it fruits underground, and the entire cycle takes about five months. Read more about it here.
Even though Gabe is aware of his allergy, what about others? If he ingests peanuts and is unable to breathe or tell another person nearby what’s happening, how can he get help? Even if he’s at school and the school nurse is aware of his peanut allergy, how long will it take to get the nurse and her be able to respond in time? This is where Rayn Bands can help.
Rayn Bands – the Modern Medical Alert Bracelet
I discovered Rayn Bands one night while scrolling Instagram. I’m uncertain how I can came across his photos, but there it was for me to see –
Immediately I knew Gabe needed it. Wearing this bracelet would eliminate the worry of what to do should Gabe have a reaction and need to inform bystanders. Especially as he’s getting older and becoming more independent. It’s a medical alert bracelet, but more trendy and one our son would wear. Win win!
Rayn sent us a peanut allergy bracelet for Gabe and we loved it! It’s stylish, trendy, and funny. It states the medical alert in a fresh, modern way in which kids are happy to wear it.
Who is Rayn Bands?
Rayn Bands was started by 10 year old Rayn who is from Ottawa, Canada. After Rayn’s brother suffered a few serious allergic reactions and an asthma attack, Rayn created a lanyard to display on his brother’s school backpack to indicate his medical conditions.
As word of mouth grew, Rayn started created lanyards for friends and other families. This eventually turned into a small business and expanded to include the modern medical alert bracelet. His bracelets are currently shipped around the world to include eight countries.
His concern for others doesn’t stop there. After creating the Rayn Bands business, Rayn donates 10% of all proceeds to a different charity each month. To date, Rayn has completed over 1800 orders and has donated over $3000 to various charities since October 2018. He has traveled around to various events, has appeared on television, and even the radio!
Rayn is an amazing kid with a big heart and putting some good back into the world!
Current Campaign
When Rayn was 10, he came out to his parents as being transgender. He is currently doing a LGBT campaign and will donate 10% of all proceeds to the Children’s Hospital of Easter Ontario.
How to Contact Rayn
To contact Rayn and order your medical alert bracelet or other accessory, please contact them through:
