A hospital stay requires wearing a backless gown that won’t interfere with procedures, but now new studies are challenging this cultural norm.
What you wear can be a form of self-expression and for adolescents, wearing a hospital gown may not be the look they feel comfortable with.
Recent research has found wearing a hospital gown can have an impact on self-esteem and confidence, especially on teens.
That’s why Supertee founder and CEO of the not-for-profit Fair Fight Foundation, Jason Sotiris, has been on a new mission to develop a new range of Supertee clothing. The clothing is aimed at teens and adolescents who need to wear a hospital gown during hospital stays for cancer treatment.
Reducing stigma around hospital gowns
Eleven years ago, Jason’s daughter Angela, then aged one, was diagnosed with a rare cancer and spent three years in and out of hospital.
During the long stays, Jason, inspired by his son who liked to dress up as a superhero, created the Supertee for youngsters to wear at hospital. The Supertee is a superhero-inspired medical garment to be worn during hospital stays.
“Angela didn’t want to wear a hospital gown… she felt more comfortable in a t-shirt or singlet,” he told The Greek Herald.
“What I noticed was how much of a stigma wearing a hospital gown is.
“Even at a young age, children know what a hospital gown is and they don’t want to wear it, let alone adults. It’s become a symbol of illness.”
Since launching in 2018 and thanks to donors, more than 25,000 of the Supertee garments have been delivered nationwide.
After many queries on comfortable clothing for teenagers and young adults, Jason has moved to the next stage to develop clothing that is practical and trendy.
The research for the next range of Supertees – a t-shirt, shorts and toiletry bag – started four years ago. Jason looked at sizing suitable for teenagers and adolescents who wear an adult size.
Jason is confident that teens and young adults will not feel conspicuous in and out of the hospital when wearing the new Supertees.
“We came out with the children’s range in 2018, but the one question I am often asked is, ‘do you have anything for teens and young adults?’’’ he said.
“We knew it had to be a t-shirt. We knew that it had to function in a similar way to the children’s Supertee to bypass the medical equipment.
“When we asked a control group of teenagers and adults what they were looking for in hospital garments, the common response was having pockets (and) that’s when the idea of shorts came in.”
The shorts were created to accommodate the request for pockets that could comfortably hold electronic devices. The pockets could not be added to t-shirts as the extra material would interfere with scans and medical imagery.
“I’d say it’s better than a t-shirt, it’s much more practical and more appealing than a hospital gown,” Jason said.
“If they go down to the hospital cafeteria, no-one will tell they are a patient.”
While the Fair Fight Foundation has received the prototypes, they are still evaluating and making changes in time for the launch next year.
Jason has applied for different grants, but support from donors is still needed to ensure the Supertee Project is accessible nationally for teens and young adults.
You can find out more here: http://supertee.org.au/
International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month highlights the need to support children and teens who have been diagnosed with cancer.
