The idea for the m*a*m*a® came to Chris Loarie many years ago as he watched his wife leave for the grocery store. As with many couples, they had just discovered they were pregnant, but were keeping this fact a secret until the safe 8-12 week mark. As his wife was leaving, he thought to himself, “No one else knows she is pregnant but me, what if she gets into a car accident?” This thought brought about the idea of the m*a*m*a® bracelet.
The idea for the bracelet sat on the shelf for close to 12 years while Chris built up another idea into a successful business. About two years ago, he took the m*a*m*a® idea to his sister, Carrie Mayhew, for help with creative development. As it so happened, Carrie just found out she was expecting her second child.
Carrie’s professional background is in Architecture and Urban Planning, but with the economic down-turn, she found herself unemployed. When her brother approached her about developing the m*a*m*a® Maternity Alert Jewelry concept, it wasn’t so much the prospect of employment that initially drew her, but rather a personal experience of her own. Carrie had a friend who was 8 weeks pregnant when she lost her baby after a car accident. At the time of the accident, no one knew her friend was pregnant.
The accident and her brother’s proposal caused Carrie to do a little research. Approximately 3% of pregnant women are in car accidents each year, or about 120,000 women. The immediate care a women receives after an accident can be crucial to the life of the unborn baby. Carrie and her brother, Chris, went to work and the m*a*m*a® Maternity Alert Jewelry line was launched.
