Duds For the Disabled Are Created With Love

While all moms are special, some are even more so. They are the moms of kids with special needs. And some, like Mary Ann Tenaglia, mother of Matty, 9, stand out even more.

In her quest to find appropriate clothing for Matty--who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy--Tenaglia and two friends have found a way to give a helping hand to other parents on similar journeys.

About two years ago in a school parking lot, she was talking to Marie Harman of New Hyde Park, N.Y., about her need to find adaptive clothing, specifically a bib to catch Matty’s drooling. “I was unable to find any that fit him, and if I did they were so inappropriate for an older boy to wear,” says Tenaglia of Manhasset Hills, N.Y.

Harman told her of a friend--a designer and seamstress who made clothing for her 16-year-old twin daughters. The girls have sclerosis and needed seamless undershirts to wear under their braces. So into the picture entered Donna LoMonica, also of New Hyde Park.

As often happens when special women get together, the ideas started flying, which is how their company, AbleWear, was born. AbleWear is a home-based business that markets reasonably priced clothing for children and adults with disabilities. Tenaglia dreams up the ideas, LoMonica whips up the samples, Harman takes care of the business matters--and Matty? He serves as the company’s model while the clothing is under development.

He even has a waterproof, breathable bib named after him. (You can check it out on their Web site, https://www.ablewear.com.)

When kids with physical challenges are younger, baby clothing usually fits the bill because it is already adaptable, but trouble arises when kids get older. Tenaglia tells of the struggle to take off her son’s jacket if he became too warm while she was driving her car. “To remove his jacket, I had to stop the car and pull his jacket out from behind him.”

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All that has changed because of AbleWear’s fleece jacket, which closes in the back so she can reach right over and pull it off. Other products include cargo and sweat pants with hidden zippers for easy removal, waterproof pillowcases and rain ponchos designed for wheelchair users.

As business has grown, especially over the last six months, all proceeds are poured back into the company for further development. And while the AbleWear partners say they are definitely in business to make money, that goal is rivaled by another--the desire to make support available to those who most need it.

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They started a sponsorship opportunity on the Web site, inviting companies and individuals to donate money so adaptive clothing could be provided at a discount to families that have the most need but the fewest financial resources. So far, about $1,000 has been donated, says Harman.

While ordering, customers often inquire about other products that AbleWear does not provide--such as incontinence items, shoes or medical equipment. And questions come along, too, on topics such as feeding, schooling and surgery.

“I try to the best of my knowledge to guide them in the right direction or tell them about my personal experiences,” says Tenaglia, who often zaps out e-mail at 11 p.m. Indeed, while the business is important to them, they all agree that caring for their families comes first, which is why you might find Harman up at midnight or 1 a.m. doing paperwork. “This is no 9-to-5 job,” she says.

What’s in the future? They hope to expand sales through stores and national catalogs, with an eye to opening their own shop. And that means a pitch for a small-business loan.

Harman has this message for all the moms of children with special needs:

“For whatever reason, you were chosen to be the mother of a disabled child. Surround yourself with people who love you and them. God bless you all.”