Heldi was created, as is often the case, out of a real need. Type 1 diabetes came into our lives in 2022 when our little daughter, who was about to turn 2, was diagnosed. We have been pump users from the beginning, first Medtronic, then Medtrum Nano. It doesn’t matter which pump we use, we had problems staying on the devices with both. It doesn’t matter which pump you use, problems with devices staying on were with both. The original Medtronic sensor patches quickly became ugly around the edges and started to peel off. The cannulas also needed extra patches. At first, I wanted colorful patches with pictures for my child, so that she would have a little more fun. After several different tests, I got a nice colorful pattern on the patch, but the patch didn’t stay on the skin properly. After switching to Medtrum Nano, I especially missed a proper patch for the patch pump, because the pump quickly came loose from the edges and did not stay on in the bath or pool at all, no matter how much tape I put on.
Finally, I found a good material that miraculously stays on the skin well. It is kinesiology tape, from Europe and of high quality. The color selection is limited, but the durability on the skin outweighs this. At the same time, the beige tone has proven to be good because if you cover the sensor completely, it is almost invisible.
The patch pump stays on with all kinds of water games, in hot weather when the child sweats, and also at the beach. Once, the pump unfortunately came off while touring because the patch on the pump itself tore, but Heldi patch was still stuck to the skin. Of course, you have to take into account that people and skins are different and not everyone’s patch may stay on so well. We have also had situations where the patch still comes off at the edge. However, the feedback so far has been very positive and only a few people have found this material unsuitable.
Heldi is a small family business, we operate in Estonia and we try to offer other products in addition to adhesive plasters as much as we can. We hope to make life with diabetes a bit easier, especially for kids, so that they could enjoy their childhood and not worry about pumps, sensors or cannulas coming off.