The Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation.

A little girl, Linda Collins, cut her finger while playing. Taken to hospital to have it sutured she was routinely tested for tetanus antitoxin sensitivity. Within minutes she was in violent anaphylactic shock. It was touch and go for several days. The year was 1956, the place l'urlock, California. Linda's father, Dr. Marion Collins, decided then that a distinctive ident must be devised to prevent a repetition for Linda and countless others with hidden medical problems. It was an idea whose time had come. Today, 27 years later, the Medic-Alert trademark is registered worldwide and there are active homegrown affiliate organizations operating in 17 countries. Medic-Alert affiliates are independent self-starters. The nucleus can be a service club, a professional association, government or simply a group of concerned private citizens. The common denominator is that they borrow some of Dr. Collins' sensitivity and drive, follow a standard method of presenting member records and issue recognizable copies of the original registered idents Affiliates are represented on an International Board and meet regularly at Turlock headquarters to discuss common problems. Medic-Alert's obligation to other international medical associated groups such as the World Health Organization (WHO) is also their concern. Medic-Alert is the only medical problem ident service fully recognized and a member of WHO. Canadians became aware of Dr. Collins' idea in 1961. Ralph Finkle, a Toronto sales manager with a