Being unable to communicate verbally is a daunting roadblock for so many individuals out there. Whatever condition they may have that prevents them from talking to others, many of us can't imagine the difficulties these people must face in normal everyday life.
Therefore, it is unfathomable to try and envision what it must be like in an emergency.
This was the exact worry Australian mum Natalie Bell had when she came to the realisation that if she and her daughter were in a car accident, then the paramedics would have no idea her daughter was deaf and unable to undergo an MRI should Natalie be unable to communicate this to them.
You see, Natalie's daughter is fitted with a cochlear implant, meaning an MRI scan could lead to some devastating consequences. It was this fear that led Natalie to create a $12 (AUS) seatbelt cover that would alert first responders of her daughter's implant should the worst occur.
Natalie talks about the inspiration for her life-saving creation below:But Natalie didn't stop there, as the mother-of-five went on to create a range of covers for children or adults with conditions
The Victoria mum shared her potentially life-saving creation on her Facebook page Personalised by Nat on Wednesday - and has since received more than 205,000 likes and thousands of requests.
Some of the designs Natalie has created include a cochlear implant one which reads, "I am deaf. No MRI", and one for individuals with autism that reads, "I have autism. I may resist help".
Writing on Facebook, the doting mother explained why this invention is so important to her:
"I always wonder what would happen if I was in a car accident with my daughter in the car and I was unable to let the doctors know that my daughter could not have a MRI due to having a cochlear implant, now I don’t need to worry about that with these seat belt covers. These can be made for any special needs that the medical team will need to know if you are unable to tell them http://www.personalisedbynat.com/"
The incredible seatbelt straps can also be worn on rucksacks:
Natalie has since revealed in a Facebook post that she has been overwhelmed with requests:
"As many as you know we have gone viral, we have had a overwhelming response to our seat belt covers, we are working on responding to everyone’s comments as soon as we can, thank you for your understanding."
Well done, Natalie! No doubt this will save countless lives.
