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PKU · Metabolic disorder

Maya's family.

From explaining PKU to every substitute teacher — to one card that says it all, instantly, to anyone who needs to know.

Before Arcolia

A week that wore Jennifer down.

01

The phenylalanine diary

Jennifer logged Maya's food intake in a spreadsheet — phenylalanine counts by meal, formula amounts, blood spot timing. She estimated on hard days. She wasn't always sure what the metabolic team was actually looking at, or whether what she was tracking matched what they needed. The diary existed, but it never felt like enough.

02

Explaining PKU, again

Every substitute teacher. Every new school aide. Every ER nurse who'd never seen a PKU patient. Jennifer explained it from scratch every time — the diet, what happens if Maya eats too much phenylalanine, the formula, why it matters even when Maya seems fine. It was exhausting. She always worried people wouldn't fully understand.

03

Metabolic clinic without the narrative

Every three months. Jennifer had Maya's bloodspot numbers but not the story behind them. Why did levels spike in December? She thought it was the holiday meals, but she hadn't written it down. The metabolic team got the labs. They didn't get the context. The appointment moved forward without the full picture.

Then Jennifer found Arcolia.

Same weeks. A lighter weight.

With Arcolia

The same moments, handled.

Daily Dump

Dietary log, built without effort

Jennifer speaks Maya's meals into Arcolia at the end of each day. The dietary pattern builds automatically — phenylalanine load, formula, anything notable. When levels spike, there's a record of exactly what was happening. The metabolic team has the context, not just the numbers.

Emergency Passport

The substitute teacher scanned a QR code

Maya's Emergency Passport explains PKU clearly: what she can and can't eat, what happens if the protocol isn't followed, the metabolic team's contact number. The substitute didn't need Jennifer to be there. The school nurse didn't need to call. The card said it all.

Clinic Brief

Metabolic clinic with the full story

The clinic brief synthesized 90 days of dietary notes alongside Maya's level trend. December's spike was there — matched exactly to the holiday week notes. The metabolic dietitian could see the correlation. The conversation became about what to do differently, not about reconstructing the past.

What made the difference

📝

Daily Dump

Dietary observations, formula changes, anything notable — captured daily in seconds. The dietary pattern builds without a spreadsheet.

🪪

Emergency Passport

PKU diet restrictions, emergency protocols, metabolic team contacts — all on one card. The substitute teacher doesn't need a phone call.

📊

Clinic Brief

Labs plus narrative. The metabolic team gets the dietary context alongside the numbers. The appointment can go somewhere new.

“I've explained PKU to hundreds of people. Some of them got it. Some of them decided it probably didn't apply that day. The card doesn't leave room for that. It says what it says.”

Jennifer · Maya's mom · PKU

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