Personal experience has inspired a grandmother to make personalised bracelets to help people with unseen disabilities and health conditions.
Self-employed Candy Daniels was is in the Norwich B&M store in Hall Road when she had an anxiety attack.
The attack forced her to freeze, and she was saddened to be met with people being annoyed and telling her she was in the way.
The mum of two, who lives in Cawston and has six grandchildren, has lots of experience in making things for craft fairs and wanted to put that to good use.
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The 54-year-old said: “I know how difficult it can be for people to understand how hidden disabilities can affect people.”
Candy suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety and has a grandson with ADHD and autism, and says people often make assumptions about them.
She said: “Because they don’t see a wheelchair or things that make a disability obvious a child having an emotional response is labelled as ‘naughty’ or an adult unable to move in a crowded supermarket is ‘being difficult’.
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“In reality, these individuals are using every bit of energy to try and control their behaviour and make it home without judgement.”
She feels wearing a medical alert bracelet could help people to understand the behaviour those people display.
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As well as using her homemade bracelets to highlight disabilities, Candy also wants to ensure she used them to highlight allergies.
She said: “There are many people who have allergies such as gluten, dairy and nut – we can add it to the bracelets.
“That is what is so good about them, they are all handmade to order so I can add anything that people feel they need a medical alert for.
“They also serve an important role in an emergency as those attending to the patient can instantly see the medical condition of the wearer.”
The bracelets are available in varied sizes, find out more at candyshandmadegifts.co.uk.
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