School aged children with BE have to wear diapers, or worse, not attend school at all.
Phase 1 is complete!
After developing an initial prototype, we tested the underwear with several families. The overwhelming feedback was that they weren’t quite right.
So we went back to the drawing board.
We wanted to create underwear with a removable, reusable pad that can easily be washed and would be comfortable to wear, while also holding sufficient urine to allow the children to attend school and activities confidently. Keeping costs low was also a major consideration.
So we tested a number of different fabrics recommended for incontinence, diapers and period panties, until we found the perfect solution.
See for yourself!
We are currently in the fundraising phase.
As we prepare for Phase 3, we need to raise $34,000 to pay for the materials and manufacturing of these one-of-a-kind underwear. We appreciate any support you can provide!
Production is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023.
Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming sales of these revolutionary underwear!
Our goal is to make these underwear available to exstrophy children all over the world so they are able to go to school and live their life to its fullest purpose and potential!
For $150 you can sponsor a child in Uganda or India to attend school by providing them with our BE Dry underwear kit.
Bladder exstrophy is a rare and initially devastating birth condition. The bladder is split in half and turned inside out. The skin that covers the bladder does not form properly, exposing the bladder to the external world. Repair of the exposed bladder requires surgical reconstruction and while most patients will never achieve normal continence, with good quality care, and catheterization they can live normal lives.
Unfortunately, this is a different story for people in third world countries. Procedures for continence are rarely done and supplies are limited, so patients with exstrophy are left ‘wet.’ With no access to disposable diapers, they wear nothing, soaking the ground or wrap themselves with rags. They cannot go to school and often don’t play with other children, leaving them socially isolated and vulnerable.
Annett is a 15-year year old girl who has had surgery to reconstruct her bladder, however she is still ‘wet’. She always has a puddle of urine under her feet. She’s made several mats out of straw to sit on and replaces them as they get wet with urine. She has never gone to school because of her condition however, she has dreams of one day attending a vocational school where she can learn to sew. Unfortunately, this will not happen until there is a solution to keep her dry throughout the day.
Johnson often wears a dress so he does not “soak” his clothes. Johnson is eight years old and lives in a remote village, with no access to disposable diapers. With nothing to keep him dry and a steady flow of urine leaking from a hole just below his belly button, his legs are wet and a puddle is always beneath him. School isn’t an option so he is confined to his small mud hut or close by where others won’t see and tease him. Imagine the confusion and shame this young boy feels.