The medical garment making sick kids feel better in hospital

Little Gwennie Ferris was diagnosed with an illness so rare, she is one of only about 20 Australians living with it. But there’s a special medical garment that’s taking her mind off her hospital visits.

It’s something no parent wants to see – their child sick in a hospital bed, prodded with needles and hooked up to machines.

But for Bec Ferris, it’s something she’s had to witness multiple times throughout her daughter Gwendolyn’s short life.

This year, four-year-old Gwennie was diagnosed with an illness so rare, she is one of only about 20 Australians living with it.

Although she has already faced a mountain of health battles in her short life, in February, Gwennie was diagnosed with KBG Syndrome, one of 800 known cases around the world.

Gwennie Ferris in her Supertee. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It’s a genetic disorder that manifests in a number of ways, which so far for Gwennie has included developmental delays, a below average growth rate, a heart murmur, silent aspiration and low immunity – meaning she is unable to even fight off the common cold without hospitalisation.

“It was a really big shock when she was diagnosed with something so rare,” her mum Bec said.

“But it finally gave us an answer to what was going on, and how we can help her be best.

“For me as her mum, you wonder ‘did I do something wrong, is it my fault’ but knowing this is a genetic illness, it helped with that mum guilt.”

Keeping up with Gwennie’s never ending medical appointments and hospital stays is a full-time job and being such a rare disease, finding support has been incredibly hard for the Ferris family.

“It really impacts every part of our lives, because we don’t know when she might need to go to hospital, and it can be very immediate,” Bec said.

“So it affects my sons, my husband, and my ability to work.”

But a special T-shirt has helped Gwennie and her older brothers navigate her condition.

Bec Ferris with her daughter Gwendolyn Ferris. Picture: Jonathan Ng

For the past few years, Gwennie has worn a Supertee, a specially designed medical garment disguised as a fun costume, every time she sees a doctor or goes to hospital.

“Her older brothers are so protective and they can get quite upset when she has to go to hospital, so we ask them to go get her Supertee for her,” Bec said.

“And then we tell Gwennie to put her costume on, we tell her that she’s a brave superhero and that really helps.”

Her newest Supertee is astronaut themed, which is particularly special for her mum Bec, who is a science teacher.

The Supertee was first created in 2018 by Jason Sotiris, a father who felt helpless as he sat by his daughter’s hospital bedside while she battled a rare cancer – he wanted to make her feel more comfortable and brighten her days.

Fast-forward six years and more than 25,000 Supertees have been donated to sick children in hospitals across Australia, prompting a new design to celebrate the milestone.

“Giving sick children the opportunity to imagine they are an astronaut can help take their mind off the procedure they are preparing for, or the fact that they’ve been stuck in a hospital bed for weeks and encourage them to engage in imaginative play, which we know helps children cope through challenging situations,” he said.

Individuals and businesses wanting to help get the Supertee astronaut edition medical garments to sick children in hospital can visit www.supertee.org.au for more information.

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