Cancer is a word that has affected us all in some way. A mom, a cousin, a friend, the cashier you see every week at the grocery store. And the statistics don’t lie: diagnoses are on the rise.
Yet when it comes to recovery, comfort, dignity and functionality are rarely part of the equation. Patients are often given flimsy hospital gowns or left to improvise with safety pins to manage surgical drains.
KickIt, a female-founded company based in Atlanta, is rewriting that story. The brand creates practical clothing designed for every stage of a woman’s cancer journey — from hospital stays to graduations, weddings and the return to work.
Credit: Robin Henson
Credit: Robin Henson
The spark
The idea for KickIt began with co-founder Cindy Trice while she was undergoing chemotherapy treatments. At 35, she was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer.
“She was in the typical hospital gown and it was very uncomfortable,” recalls co-founder Elizabeth Searcy in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “One day, one of her friends gave her a pair of pajamas, and it was a game changer. She just felt normal. She got more motivated to walk around the nurses’ station … but it lacked the medical access for the nurses and the doctors.”
That experience shifted everything.
“She had a Eureka moment when she realized, you know, hey, why can’t someone make a pair of pajamas that are cute but have the medical function?”
Trice created a prototype in partnership with a fashion school in Tampa, Florida, but the idea sat tucked away for years. It wasn’t until 2019 — when co-founders Searcy, Parmelee Miller and Anna Shuford joined forces — that the company truly came to life.
Credit: © 2020 Robin Henson
Credit: © 2020 Robin Henson
Function meets fashion
Before KickIt, the team said many patients had no choice but to improvise.
“We hear stories all the time of women having to cut out holes in their shirts or … wear a kitchen apron underneath (a dress) to hold drains. All the safety pins and cargo pants … It’s just horrible,” Searcy says.
The company offers a solution with its designs, which include discreet drain pockets, snap sleeves and durable fabrics.
“Our goal is to make clothing that is comfortable, functional and beautiful … to bring a sense of normalcy and dignity to women during their cancer journey,” the founders explain.
The power of community
KickIt’s growth has been shaped by connection.
“The first year we started, we got a check in the mail with a handwritten letter from a man who had lost his wife to cancer,” Miller recalls. “He sent us a check for the cost of a pair of pajamas and said, ‘Next time you find someone that needs a pair of pajamas, please give them one for me.’”
Through partnerships with Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute and Atlanta Breast Care, their products are now supporting even more women during recovery. Even the women modeling the clothes are survivors or caregivers themselves.
The company also extends its mission through advocacy. Each year, KickIt sponsors the Cervivor School Scholarship, which helps a cervical cancer patient or survivor attend Cervivor School, a training program that empowers women to share their stories and advocate for change.
For the founders, the mission goes beyond clothing. It’s about making sure no woman feels alone during one of the hardest chapters of her life.
“There’s such a great community,” Searcy emphasizes. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When you are ready, share your story. You never know who you’re going to touch and help.”
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