At 21 years old, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine student Maddison Tory has spent more time in hospitals than most people will in a lifetime. Born with a heart condition requiring surgery at 13 and later diagnosed with lupus, she's missed school, social events and many typical youth-defining experiences.
"You start to feel like you're just a diagnosis," says Tory, a Bachelor of Health Sciences student entering her 4th year. "When you miss classes, miss time with friends and you're constantly surrounded by procedures and protocols, it starts to affect your sense of identity."
Tory says it's also uncomfortable. She requires multiple intravenous (IV) treatments every month. The IV solution needs to be chilled and, to allow for easy access to the veins in her arms, Tory typically wears a hospital gown or short-sleeved shirt, which she says leaves her feeling cold and exposed.
During one appointment, she wore a hoodie for warmth but had to keep it half off to allow for arm access. That's when inspiration struck: what if there were hoodies designed specifically for this kind of treatment?
From idea to IV-accessible hoodie prototype
With a clear vision but little fashion business know-how, Tory joined the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking's Innovation Sandbox. There she connected with Andres Pour-ahmadi, a fellow UCalgary student, Sandbox member and founder of Adorn the Bold, a Calgary-based custom embroidery business.
"Maddison needed help building a prototype," says Pour-ahmadi, entering his final year of his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies. "I had some basic skills, but there was a lot I didn't know, so my friend's aunt offered to teach me more advanced sewing techniques. Then I stayed up all night putting it together."
Tory wore the prototype to her next infusion, where it delivered exactly what she hoped for. It allowed for functional IV access while keeping her feeling warm, comfortable and dignified.
"Connecting with Andres through the Hunter Hub's Innovation Sandbox made all the difference," says Tory. "I had the idea, but he helped bring it to life. It was the perfect collaboration."
Port-accessible, stylish, weighted and made in Canada
Moving from a handmade prototype to full production, Pour-ahmadi and Tory worked to find a Toronto-based manufacturer that met her quality and ethical standards. Together, they customized every detail from fabric weight to snap placement to ensure the hoodie worked in both clinical and everyday settings.
The final product strikes a balance between function and comfort. It provides easy port and arm access while keeping patients warm and fully covered, and its everyday appearance makes it suitable for daily wear.
"It had to feel like something you'd actually want to wear, not just at the clinic but at the mall or in the classroom," Tory says. "It doesn't just keep people warm and comfortable but helps them feel a bit more like themselves. A bit more normal."
Early demand and community support
Tory says the adaptive fashion is primarily for spoonies', a term used by individuals living with chronic illness or pain to describe themselves. But others are likely to find it of interest too.
Under the brand HUG & Spoons Co. Tory already has 150 preorders for the HUG' hoodies - including several from corporate sponsors. Her sponsorship program allows individuals and organizations to purchase hoodies on behalf of patients, helping to bring warmth and comfort to those who can't afford a hoodie.
For the next phase, Tory is experimenting with new colours and fabrics and expanding customization options for patients. Pour-ahmadi continues to play an active role, embroidering each hoodie with the HUG & Spoons Co. logo and working with Tory to introduce new personalization features such as medical-symbol embroidery.
"It's not just about keeping people warm and physically comfortable," she says. "It's about giving people with chronic illnesses something that helps them feel a little more like themselves."
To learn more, purchase a hoodie or sponsor one for a patient in need, visit hugandspoons.co.
Video Credit: Tammie Samuel, Communications
