An unfortunate and true story!
In his late teens, Mark Lippe, founder of DAD Innovations, encountered difficulty with his diabetes at work one day. After a brief rest he was sent home. While driving, his low blood sugar caused him to black out, lose control of his car and smash into a tree. Truck drivers on the highway stopped to help and called police. After regaining consciousness Mark tried to explain to the police that he had diabetes. None of the officers were interested in his explanation. He was given three citations and placed in the back seat of a squad car. During the ride to the police department he was interrogated by an officer and asked what illegal drugs he had consumed. Many times while resolving his ordeal Mark contemplated how this could have been prevented.
Now, several years later, Mark's daughter Lisa was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She was entering her sophomore year of high school and taking driver's education. Mark recounted his experience and Lisa thoughtfully told her Dad that they really should do something so no one else would go through what he did.
The idea of a medical awareness decal for diabetics was born and DAD Innovations was created. With these decals, and now key chains, medical and emergency personnel could be alerted to the drivers condition and give appropriate medical treatment.
In support of diabetes research, a portion of all proceeds from these medical awareness decals and key chains will be donated to the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
A friendly reminder, test your blood sugar before driving.
Mark Lippe is Interviewed by ABC News
ABC News' Kim Berryman has written an article on the affects of diabetes and driving. Read "Driving With Diabetes: Preparation Is Key" on ABC News.
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