Fashion, but Make it Accessible
We meet the founder of a new clothing line for tube-feeding tots.
Melbourne’s Jessica Barathy has a history in glossy mags and fashion – and it shows. Even in its early days, this graphic artist’s adaptable clothing brand, Growing Tots, makes a beautiful impression. And her first product – a cotton undergarment for gastrostomy fed youngsters, created in collaboration with health professionals – makes its debut this week.
“I launched the social platform before I launched the product because I wanted to create a safe space where families could come together, relate and learn about me and my story,” Jessica tells The Blend.
The now freelance creative got her start on the pages of Dolly and Cleo magazine before working with Aussie fashion royalty, Bec + Bridge, and then becoming a parent.
Growing Tots was inspired by its founder’s two-year-old daughter, who has a gastrostomy tube. Jessica also has a four-year-old son and, in a very new development, a four-month-old baby girl.
“I was never personally involved in any tube-feeding communities because, as a mum, I just wasn’t ready,” says Jessica. “But this business has allowed me to find my own community – and a safe space where I can now help others.”
Here, she shares some of her daughter’s tube-feeding story and how, through Growing Tots, she hopes to bring more connection and comfort to families like her own.
When did your daughter start tube-feeding and how did you feel about this, at the time?
Tube-feeding started at six weeks for my daughter, because her work of breathing was overcompensating her endurance and efficiency for feeding. Inserting a nasogastric (NG) tube was the only way we could get her home and out of the neonatal intensive care unit as we waited to transition as an inpatient to The Royal Children's Hospital.
I never accepted the ‘need’ for her NG tube and we came across a lot of issues from the moment it was inserted. I quickly opted for a gastrostomy when she was six months old, after my dietitian asked if we were on a waitlist for a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).
I’ll never forget asking her, “what’s a PEG?”
The gastrostomy opened new doors for our family. Our daughter’s oral aversion eased, supplements and medicine were easily taken and food blended diets became a possibility. And with that, we began to introduce food to our little girl again.
How have things progressed for your daughter since then?
When we started on milk feeds, it made her significantly sick. We had ongoing investigations for the cause of her vomiting and the struggle to gain weight. When I met with speech pathologist and feeding specialist Emily Lively, of Lively Eaters, we began to introduce food blends through the tube – and her vomiting instantly ceased. It changed our lives.
Tube-feeding is now something we don’t depend on but can always fall back on if and when our daughter needs it. Tubes save lives. It took me a while to really accept that, but I’m always learning.
Where did the idea for Growing Tots come from?
When we transitioned from milk feeds to a pure blended-food diet, we changed our tubing equipment to a bolus tube. We were unable to thread this particular tube through our daughter’s clothes during feeds, which meant we had to expose her stomach and start cutting holes in her singlets.
I thought to myself, there has to be a better way! But I couldn’t find any existing adaptive apparel that would align with her tube. So, I decided to create my own.
It has now been a year since we started the process, from design to protocols, sampling and manufacturing and now marketing, and we are finally ready to launch at this year’s Source Kids Disability Expo in Melbourne.
What do you hope Growing Tots will do for the tube-feeding community?
My hope is that this product will become the next, everyday essential undergarment for all gastrostomy feeding children. It will assist with everyday outings and feeds, kindy and school days, appointments and tube changes. It will mean your child will feel comfortable and supported with easy access to their tube area without the compromise of exposure or having to undress.
No more cutting holes in your child’s singlets or stitching fabric together. This accessible point is a game changer!
What’s your best piece of advice for families who are new to the experience of tube-feeding?
Trust in your instincts. The right team will give you opportunity and chance. Never settle for anything less.