During my long hospital stays, I came to appreciate just how important comfort and normalcy can be in such a nerve-wracking environment. One part of my stays that I hated was wearing a hospital gown. I mean really, who designs these things? Hospital gowns don’t fit, they are literally like wearing a sheet that probably hundreds of other people wore…kind of gross if you think about it.
It astonished me that something as simple as putting a zipper into one of my T-shirts could made such a dreadful experience a little easier, much more comfortable, and definitely more sanitary. I wanted every single kid on the pediatric oncology floor at NYU to have this same normalcy. This was the spark that grew into JZips. When you’re a person with cancer, you hear a lot of “If there’s anything I can do to help…” Instead of flowers or stuffed animals, I started asking friends and family to send kids’ T-shirts. My mother and grandmother added the zippers. We use shirts with popular characters and cool designs to not only be practical but fun as well.
When I think back to the countless weeks I spent in the hospital, I remember being scared and sick. I do have some very fond memories as well. When my mom and I knew we were going in for a stay, we would pack as many JZips as we could carry in a large tote bag. The oncology nurses knew what we had and already started making a “list” of who would benefit from a JZip shirt. It literally would brighten my day to give a kid a JZip, talk to parents and the oncology team. What I appreciate most in starting JZips is how many people are impacted in such a positive way, not only the cancer patients who are receiving the JZips. My friends, family and strangers donate new T-shirts all the time. Doctors and nurses share the information so their patients can receive JZips. Our social media is full of praise from both parents and kids. I feel so thankful to be able to impact so many from this “spark of an idea.”