IV infusions with comfort, warmth and style

A new comfy hoodie is on the market, and this one has a twist. It can be worn while getting an IV infusion. Inspiration for the hoodie came from the designer’s real life. Maddison Tory, a fourth-year health sciences student at the University of Calgary, lives with lupus and requires regular IV infusions. A hospital gown or short-sleeved shirts leaves her feeling cold and if she wears a hoodie it has to be worn half-off for IV access.To create the hoodie, Tory teamed up with Andres Pour-ahmadi, another University of Calgary undergraduate student who runs his own custom embroidery business called Adorn the Bold. They connected through the school’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking’s Innovation Sandbox, a co-working space and community. Pour-ahmadi made the prototype, and Tory tested it at her next appointment. It delivered, keeping her warm, comfortable and dignified. The two worked with a Toronto-area manufacturer to further ensure the hoodie met with Tory’s design, quality and ethical standards. The design features snaps on the sleeves and chest to allow access for IV. The hood is double-lined to act as a pillow. It also looks fashionable.“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 said in a University of Calgary press release. “It doesn’t just keep people warm and comfortable but helps them feel a bit more like themselves. A bit more normal.”Tory already has 150 orders for the HUG hoodies under the brand HUG & Spoons Co. The name is a reference to the main market for the hoodies, “spoonies,” a term used by people living with chronic illnesses to describe themselves. There’s a sponsorship program so individuals or organizations can buy hoodies for patients who can’t afford the $150 price tag. The design is ongoing and Tory has plans to further customize colours and fabrics. “It’s not just about keeping people warm and physically comfortable,” Tory explained. “It’s about giving people with chronic illnesses something that helps them feel a little more like themselves.”

IV infusions with comfort, warmth and style

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