The Heart of it All

Inspired by Personal Experiences, Two Palisadians and a Lifelong Friend Create a Disposable Medical Bra

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Sometimes in life a problem exists and all you need is a team of people compassionate enough, with a little heart, to step up and think of a solution.

Two Palisadian and a lifelong friend have done just that by creating HeartSnug—billed as the world’s first adjustable and disposable medical chest coverage bra.

“We are sisters and lifelong friends who saw a need to provide patients an additional layer of security and privacy in a medical setting,” according to the company’s website. “We created HeartSnug in hopes that all women could go to doctors’ appointments, radiation clinics and undergo medical procedures while feeling physically and mentally a bit less vulnerable.”

The HeartSnug design includes lightweight and breathable material, an elastic support band, and front velcro coverage. It features X-ray-safe material, a sport-bra-like design, and is eco-friendly and sustainable.

Their work to create the bra was truly a mission-driven project, as none of the three founders had experience in anything like this before HeartSnug. One co-founder was involved in real estate, another in human resources and the third in online marketing.

But each brought with them unique experiences that drove them to see and fulfill the need for its creation.

“I was born with a very complex heart defect, and had open heart surgery as a baby and had a stroke five years ago at 40 years old,” Sara Dorband shared. “Throughout my life, I had just lots of procedures and doctors’ appointments … and particularly, when I was in my teen years—you know, 15, 16—I just remember feeling so vulnerable and dreading going to the doctor, because in cardiology, at least then, it was predominantly male.”

Interacting with different interns and residents and doctors, Dorband, a resident of Marquez Knolls, explained that she was never offered a comfortable coverup.

“You have the two traditional things,” she continued. “You have the cloth gown … and it just leaves a lot to be desired, and then you have the paper-thin one, which rips. So I always thought, ‘Ugh, I wish there was something that I could wear that the doctors could have access to my chest and look around, and it’s just closed.’”

Following a particularly rough stress test, Dorband called her best friend, Lauren Orlick, in tears.

“I’ve been through this my whole life with her, and seeing really her vulnerability to her chest and her scars,” Orlick, who lives in San Francisco, shared, “and just the impact it really has on someone with a chronic illness, or even myself going to an appointment and feeling exposed.”

Orlick had an appointment with a dermatologist that week for a full-body scan. She shared that within two minutes, she was fully undressed in front of him and his two assistants.

“For 40 minutes,” she continued, “I sat there, feeling really awful. So when Sara called, it just really hit a nerve.”

In addition to supporting Dorband, Orlick also helped her mom while she battled cancer three years ago. As her primary caregiver, she was the one taking her to appointments, noting how her mom would adjust her gown to avoid unnecessary exposure.

Taking this all into account and wanting to create a solution, Orlick said to Dorband and Dorband’s sister, Lisa Humiston: “Let’s get on board and see what’s out there, and do our research and homework.”

Humiston, who lives in the Huntington, shared that watching Dorband go through her treatments and vulnerabilities growing up was hard.

“My sister is my best friend,” Humiston said. “I’ve just always supported anything that she’s done, and so when this came about, I was obviously on board right way.”

It was also important to her because she has two teenage daughters that experience the same vulnerabilities when going to the doctor. One of her daughters was in urgent care with a rash on her chest that needed to be looked at.

“There was nothing for her to put on actually at the time,” Humiston explained. “She had to keep her sweatshirt on. If she had a HeartSnug bra to put on and just cover herself at that time, it would have been so amazing.”

The first conversations about HeartSnug started to take place about one year ago. Since then, the three founders have brought in a patent attorney, who did a deep dive and found that the medical bra they had sketched out was not yet available.

“We said, ‘OK the cardiology is one aspect,’” Orlick recalled. “‘But why just cardiology? Why can’t it be a greater impact for so many other areas?’”

The three of them conducted surveys and did research, which helped them learn about the impact it could have.

“That’s where you’ll see it’s not just a bra,” Orlick said. “It’s a movement. Yes we created a bra, but we want this to be much bigger than the bra.”

Orlick said the goal of HeartSnug is giving women, those who want more coverage, the LGBTQ community—really anyone who wants the option—to have the choice, creating an awareness of the effect this has on everything from vulnerability to mental health.

“We’ve done a lot of research, we’ve done a lot of studies and we’ve done a lot of surveys in different populations,” Dorband explained. “What we’re finding is there’s a really big psychological impact with wearing the gown as it exists … in particular, those with chronic illness, wearing the gown impacts their self-esteem, it makes them feel vulnerable.”

Orlick added that it can contribute to people avoiding doctor appointments altogether.

Though HeartSnug bras are disposable, since they are designed with velcro, they can be used multiple times. Because there is no metal in it, it is X-ray safe and can be worn under the protection shield.

“I mean, literally, the list has been endless … our list is continuing to grow,” Orlick said. “Whether it’s plastic surgery to IVF clinics, to hospitals to government agencies in emergency centers and emergency kits … We’re extremely proud of what we designed.”

A year in the making, HeartSnug is ready to ship. They have a manufacturing team in place, as well as a distribution person. They are officially ready to take orders.

HeartSnug also will continue to give back, with a portion of proceeds being donated to places like women’s clinics and shelters, as well as shipped overseas. They recently partnered with HairToStay, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping cancer patients afford scalp cooling, which is a treatment that can reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

The founders are looking to work with anyone who is interested in learning more, interested in donating bras to charity, or works in the medical field and would like to see the product being used.

“When you put it on,” Orlick shared, “there is just this feeling of security, this feeling of non-vulnerability, like empowerment and just that you’re taking one step more to help really say enough is enough and in 2022, why are we saying OK, this one-size-fits-all gown is enough coverage?”

For more information, visit heartsnug.com.