We’ve had Wayne for about five months now; he’s the 17th child we’ve cared for in our Spare Room. This little guy has #hydrocephalus, so his head is really big. It’s tough to find clothes that fit, which are also easy to put on and take off! That’s what got me brainstorming – and we’ve had some fun creating special duds for a special dude.

I mean, one does not simply stumble into this kind of cuteness 😁 In the blog photo, we were on our way to a Christmas brunch on the Bund – for more photos of that day, check this post out.

Everyone deserves comfy, stylish clothes.

Yet, loads of people with special physical needs struggle to find solutions that have been thoughtfully designed for their lifestyle.

For this little guy, who’s physically about four-years old, yet came to us quite emaciated, we had to find longer-limbed clothes that fit a skinny little chest and waist. And instead of the old t-shirts with stretched out necks he was wearing, we hunted for wide-necked, warm, winter clothes.

One day, Laini and I realized that our hoodies would offer the perfect neckline – all we had to do was cut and resew the sleeves and midsection! So we rummaged through our closets and she proffered a pile of soft fleeces to upcycle for him. We adapted these two tops for him:

Adapting Laini's clothes for the #hydrocephalus baby in #thespareroom | The Spare Room | Emily Chang

Going through my own wardrobe, I found a few of my own:

Adapting my clothes for the #hydrocephalus baby in #thespareroom | The Spare Room | Emily Chang

And let’s be honest, he wears them way better than me!

The good news: some companies do perceive this need.

Patti + Ricky is an adaptive fashion marketplace for adults and kids with disabilities, chronic conditions, patients, seniors, and caregivers. One of my favs, Cat & Jack (yes, Target!) offer clothes for babies, toddlers and children which are easy to pull on and off, can accommodate wheelchairs, and have secret spaces for feeding tubes . Customers can easily find adaptive hoodies which are bodysuits, and a variety of clothing with abdominal access like these shirts, and even pajama jumpsuits. So cool!

We’re learning as we go… and sharing as we go.

Because my hat’s off to parents who have been aware of and living with these needs, and struggling to find solutions for their babies. Hopefully, as we each gain awareness of these needs, we share ideas and together, develop a more inclusive world in all the big and small ways.

We’ve only just started by creating special duds for a special dude.