We’re happy to introduce Kris Maynard, a Washington state firefighter and EMT who’s been living with type 1 diabetes for nearly two decades now, and the revolutionary form of fast-acting emergency glucose gel he’s been working on. It will come inside a stylish necklace you’ll wear around your neck.
After three years of development, we’re thrilled to hear that his Glucose Revival product is nearly ready for prime time. And while he’s in final beta-testing mode leading up to a full commercial launch, Kris has generously offered a giveaway to the first 100 people who sign up via DiabetesMine!
Wait, emergency glucose in a necklace?!
Yep, Glucose Revival is a hollow necklace with glucose gel inside, that you squeeze out to smear on your gums for quick absorption during a hypoglycemic event.
Resembling those glow necklaces you get at amusement parks, it’s made of soft plastic that can be squeezed but won’t kink when worn, and it’s connected by a magnetic clasp that makes it easy for quick removal and adjustment for any size neck.
The magnetic clasp acts as a plug that you remove when needed, to squeeze out as much of the 25 grams of glucose gel inside — 10 grams more than the American Diabetes Association recommends every PWD (person with diabetes) carry in case of a low. Kris says the glucose gel has a two-year shelf life, and although the necklaces aren’t refillable, any unused gel can be saved by simply re-inserting the plug. The small pendant on each necklace features the Blue Circle symbol of diabetes, and is meant to serve as a medical alert ID, letting paramedics or medical professionals (or anyone who might wish to help) know that the wearer has diabetes.
Once launched, Kris says they plan to offer two different sizes of necklace, the basic Thrive model, and a larger size with more glucose solution called the Thrive Pro.
“To keep costs down, we plan to start by selling sets of necklaces through our website and eventually through Amazon. The Thrive necklace will be sold for $18.95, and the Thrive Pro will be $21.95,” he told a local Spokane business journal.
Very cool!
Anyone who takes insulin regularly and is physically active needs a form of fast-acting glucose readily available to grab at all times. Take it from Kris, who’s been in emergency hypo situations before. This 40-something from Spokane, WA, has had T1D now for 19 years, and he’s experienced several severe lows where fellow paramedics had to help him.
“Beyond seeing severe lows as the most common emergency PWDs face, when I faced it myself, with an ambulance crew hovering over me, applying the same gel to me as we are using, is when it got real to me,” he says. “Personally, I don’t know how many times I’ve gone somewhere thinking I didn’t need to bring (emergency sugar) and was caught off-guard and not ready… whether it was running, working, in a meeting, at the grocery store, whatever.”
He originally had the idea for the necklace when heading out for a run himself. He noticed some straws on his kitchen countertop and decided to try filling them with sugar. As the idea progressed, he ended up partnering with former Gonzaga University basketball star Adam Morrison, also a T1, to begin research on how to manufacture and market it.
With an estimated 300,000 ER visits per year in the USA related to low blood sugar, Kris says this is very much needed in the Diabetes Community. While glucagon is important, the existing emergency kits from both Lilly and Novo are expensive and tougher to use than they should be.
Since we first shared his story in 2016, Kris says he has heard an overwhelming response from the D-Community, enthusiastic about getting their hands on this type of product. He says active T1s, school-aged kids and teens, parents of T1s, and even older T1 PWDs who have tried it find this to be an easier way to treat than anything else on the market – even juice boxes or candy, which may not always be as accessible in an emergency moment as a plastic necklace you’re wearing.
He introduced the necklace at the annual Children with Diabetes Friends For Life (FFL) conference in Orlando in July 2018, and Kris says the response there was “unexpected.” The feedback they got helped them fine-tune the medical ID medallions on the necklaces, and they found some funding partners to help get this product launched as soon as possible.
After a first round of product-testing that included 600 people worldwide, Kris says they made improvements that meant making this more usable for people of all ages and all climates.
Technically, the FDA won’t allow Kris’ startup to market the necklace for “emergency use” – but clearly, that’s what it is for. Interesting choice on the FDA’s part, given that EMTs have been using the same type of glucose gel mixture for more than a quarter-century when responding to hypo calls.
The Glucose Revival slogan has become: “Save it to Live it.”
“Save it for when you don’t have anything else,” Kris says. “Save it for when you want to go to the store, go on a run, go hiking, go to the lake, or camping, save it for the times you don’t want to carry something else, save it for your friends and family.”
For this exclusive giveaway, Kris has generously agreed provide necklaces to the first 100 people who respond, at no cost plus free shipping. All you have to do is agree to test it out and provide some honest feedback on the Thrive glucose necklace product. Easy enough, right?
To enter, please sign up here at GlucoseRevival.com (versus contacting us here at the ‘Mine, as is typically the case with our giveaways).
Once that 100-person limit is reached, we’ll update this post accordingly noting that the offer is closed.
Best of luck, T1D Friends!
NOTE 4/15/19: This giveaway is now closed, as Kris Maynard reports they have surpassed the 100-person limit. Thank you for reading!