Hope Is Here!!!
Are you tired of bending over repeatedly
to pick up toys for your child who is in a
car seat, stroller, high chair or grocery cart?

The Attahced To Me product line was inspired by my daughter Lauren Patrick who was born in September of 2000 with a rare genetic disorder. Lauren was blind and had autistic qualities. She was barely sitting up on her own by her first birthday. She would not move or explore much outside of her own body. She was tactile defensive, not wanting to touch many textures or unfamiliar objects.

I felt that Lauren must overcome this serious problem if she had any hope of learning about the world around her. She had to be able to tolerate textures so that she could learn pre-Braille skills and explore her environment. During our visits to the BEGIN program at the Center for the Visually Impaired, I was shown how to work with Lauren by making and adapting toys. I was encouraged by the teachers of the visually impaired to make a cummerbund to which we could attach Lauren's toys. I knew that it would come off too easily so I brainstormed with my mother, Ruth Trimble ,just after Lauren's first birthday. We came up with a vest that could hold several toys. We also discussed homemade "sensory toys". That year Lauren's grandmother made Lauren her first activity vest along with a box full of homemade toys. The toys could be attached for Lauren to play with and manipulate.

Lauren was entertained everywhere she went. For the first time she retrieved her own toys without having to scream and cry for someone to get them for her. She began to tolerate all kinds of textures, too. I could do dishes, shop for groceries, have a quick phone conversation, etc., all because Lauren was entertained. In the fall of 2003, I was asked to present Lauren's vest to a group of parents and teachers of deaf/blind children at a Georgia Pines conference. The vest was well received. Several people urged me to market and sell the vest. In 2006, Georgia Pines requested Lauren's vest for another conference. I responded with protoypes of vests I had designed and made from recycled jeans. In addition, I sent prototypes of a bib and some sensory toys. In the summer of 2008 I began to sell my products. I've donated vests, bibs and toy pouches to Lekotek of Georgia, Georgia Pines and the Center for the Visually Impaired for use with their clients. Lekotek 's encouragement and support has been invaluable to me during the development of this line of products.