Serving the Underserved: How Zip With Us® Reaches Rare Disease & Low-Income Communities
At Zip With Us®, our mission goes far beyond creating adapted medical apparel—we exist to ensure that no child facing a life-threatening illness is left without comfort, dignity, or the ability to function safely during treatment. That mission includes a firm and unwavering commitment to equity.
No Barriers, Just Care
From the beginning, our nonprofit was built with one critical value at its core: accessibility for all. That’s why we intentionally designed our ordering system to never require a credit card. For families already navigating overwhelming medical bills, missed work, and the emotional toll of a diagnosis, we believe support should never come with a price tag.
Whether a family is insured, underinsured, or without any financial means at all, they receive our products completely free of charge—and we’ve expanded that same philosophy to over 160 pediatric hospitals across the U.S., including many that serve high volumes of low-income patients.
Reaching Rare Disease Communities
While many nonprofits focus on high-profile conditions, Zip With Us® also serves children with rare diseases and complex medical needs—communities that often fall through the cracks. These families face long hospitalizations, countless procedures, and very little access to specialized apparel that fits around medical lines, ports, or feeding tubes. That’s where our ZipShirts™, Drew’s Cruisers™, and new products come in—each custom-adapted to meet the unique needs of the child.
This work is deeply personal to us. Many of the families we serve have never received anything “made just for them” before. To give them clothing that is both functional and comforting is not just a practical gesture—it’s an act of love.
The Impact of Equitable Access
We’ve seen firsthand how access to adapted garments can ease caregiver burden, reduce medical anxiety, and even improve developmental outcomes, especially in babies and toddlers. When children are safely dressed, caregivers can hold them, put them down, and help them play—all essential for both physical and emotional growth.
And in communities where access to specialty items is limited by geography or finances, these garments represent a lifeline—one that says, “You matter. We see you. And we are here for you.”
Because care shouldn’t come with a barrier. It should come with open arms.
At Zip With Us®, we’ll keep showing up, sewing up, and speaking up—until every child, in every hospital, has what they need to feel safe, seen, and strong.
