Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Hamic
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2015, my son Maddox was born with CTNNB1 Syndrome. At the time only 250 people in the world had this diagnosis. As I connected with the CTNNB1 community, I discovered the many challenges and complexities of this condition. From vision and movement disorders to speech challenges and seizures, it impacts every aspect of our children’s lives.
I started creating specialty items for my son like weighted blankets, sensory stuffed animals and special clothing items and shared them on my social media platform. In November 2021, my friend Effie Parks, host of the “Once Upon a Gene” podcast, approached me with a need: a waterproof wheelchair blanket for her son Ford that would stay in place on his ever moving body. I talked with Effie for a bit to capture her true needs and desires and what types of things Ford likes. I really love my creations to be perfectly curated to the recipient. Turns out Ford loves planets so I picked a fabric with planets all over it! I created a sketch of what I thought might work and Effie approved it. I brought it to life and the Buggy Blanket was born! Effie shared the Buggy Blanket with her community and tagged me in it. Many of the moms in similar situations followed me and reached out for a Buggy Blanket of their own.
That is how Wish Wear Accessories was born. I have since worked with other moms to design additional offerings. I love the innovation side of the house and creating items that parents and kiddos alike want and that make their lives easier. If I can take one frustration out of their day, I consider it a success. Wish Wear Accessories is community driven and we welcome parents and caregivers to reach out with new product ideas. There is Contact Us section on the website where anyone can reach out and request new products.
When I started this rare disease motherhood journey I was scared and grateful, angry and learning how to advocate, grieving for the loss of what I thought it would be and hopeful for what it will turn into. Through my journey I have grown and become more patient, more tolerant, and more accepting. I am flexing muscles I didn’t know I had or was capable of using to make the world a better place for the here and now and those who will come behind us. I am working through Wish Wear Accessories to make life a little easier for parents and a whole lot more comfortable for the kiddos I serve.
I want Wish Wear Accessories to enable the community to feel seen, heard and cared for. My dream is for children with disabilities to have super cool, fun and functional accessories that they like wearing and allow for a sense of individuality. I want them to be able to embark on magical adventures in style and comfort.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This journey has been incredibly eye-opening and rewarding. Building the business has been a smooth and exciting process, but the real magic happens when I get to connect with families and hear their stories. Meeting these amazing parents and seeing their dedication to giving their disabled kids the best possible care is has been really heart warming. I love being able to collaborate with them to create solutions that relieve some of their challenges. It’s an honor to be part of their journey and make a positive impact on their lives.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Wish Wear Accessories?
At Wish Wear, we work with families that have children with disabilities to create products to make everyday life a little easier while allowing the children to express their individuality. Our accessories are fun and functional allowing kids to embark on magical adventures in style and comfort.
There are very limited offerings on the market for disabled kids and many of them are boring and bland. We wanted to make an accessory line that met the needs of the community while offering a wide variety of fun colors and prints to allow the kiddos to have a sense of individuality and make their lives more fun! We work with parents and caregivers, mainly in the rare disease space, to create offerings specifically tailored to their wants and needs.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
In my personal life as a rare disease mom and advocate, my favorite resource is the Once Upon a Gene podcast.
https://effieparks.com
Once Upon a Gene is a podcast that explores the world of raising children with disabilities and rare genetic disorders. Host, Effie Parks shares her own personal story of raising a child with CTNNB1 syndrome, while trying to find the non-existent rule book of bringing up such a special kid. This podcast features interviews with fellow parents, therapists, doctors and anyone else who wants to share their story.
In business- I found the following books wildly helpful in adapting my mindset to show up as my best, most powerful and productive self:
– Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckinham
– Cake on Tuesday by Elizabeth Bieniek
– 10X Is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan
– Who Not How by Dan Sullivan
I also keep a gratitude journal and I find this helps me be my best by being grateful for the big wins down to the glimmers, especially on the hard days.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wishwearaccessories.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wishwearaccessories
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561876435878
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wishwearaccessories
