The Story Behind Untethered: Reimagining the Patient Gown for Comfort and Dignity

If you had asked me a few years ago if I’d ever start a company, I would have laughed.

I’m a nurse. More specifically, I’m a third-generation registered nurse. Caring for people has been woven into my family for generations, and it’s the work I’ve always felt called to do. For over 20 years, I’ve worked in healthcare from the bedside to nurse education to earning my PhD in nursing. Throughout my career, I’ve always firmly believed that healthcare should care for the whole person, not just their medical diagnosis.

As nurses, we’re trained to notice the little things. Sometimes they’re clinical. Sometimes they’re human. For me, one of those little things was the traditional hospital gown.

I’d seen thousands of patients wear them. While functional for clinicians, they were rarely designed with the patient in mind. They are scratchy, ill-fitting, exposing, and act as a constant reminder that someone has become a "patient" instead of simply remaining a person. Then, healthcare became deeply personal.

A Promise Born From Love

My mother-in-law, Maryellen, was diagnosed with colon cancer. She wasn’t just my husband’s mom; she was one of my favorite people. She welcomed me into her family from the very beginning and loved me as if I had always belonged there.

When she got sick, I wasn’t just a nurse anymore. I was a nurse looking through the lens of family.

Maryellen fought bravely for five years. But eventually, the cancer metastasized, and our only option was to move away from treatment and toward palliative and hospice care. In those last few months, it was incredibly hard to watch such a beautiful, incredible woman take on the role of a dependent patient—clothed in a generic, institutional hospital gown. I felt angry that it stripped her of her uniqueness and disrespected her dignity.

As a nurse, I understood exactly why traditional hospital gowns existed. They offer quick, unhindered access for healthcare teams. But as someone who loved the woman wearing it, I saw everything they failed to provide:

• Comfort
• Coverage
• Softness
• Dignity

Maryellen deserved better. Every woman does.

Before Maryellen passed away, I made her a promise: I would create something better—not just for her, but for every woman who would one day face a hospital stay, surgery, chemotherapy, postpartum recovery, or hospice care.

I started designing it immediately, but Maryellen passed away before I could give it to her. For the next three years, every evening after work and every weekend was spent turning that promise into reality. I searched for the right premium fabrics, partnered with skilled makers in New York City, and refined every single detail until I had a gown that perfectly balanced clinical function with comfort and dignity.

That promise became Untethered.

Beyond the Hospital: Gentle Support for Hospice, Homecare, and Mobility

While I designed Untethered gowns to excel in hospital environments, I quickly realized how vital they are for women navigating healing, aging, or illness right at home.

Untethered is crafted to serve as a beautiful, soft adaptive garment for anyone needing physical support at home, completely regardless of their medical diagnosis.

Peaceful Hospice & Palliative Care at Home

End-of-life care demands the highest level of skin protection and emotional peace. Our gowns eliminate the rough, stiff texture of industrial linens. Made from ultra-soft organic cotton, they prevent painful skin friction for bedbound loved ones while surrounding them in a beautiful, dignified wrap.

Dignified Long-Term Homecare & Caregiving

Caring for a loved one at home introduces unique physical challenges. Untethered replaces frustrating ties and open backs with a thoughtful design. Families and home health aides can maintain a loved one’s privacy and complete rear coverage during transfers, bed rest, or exams.

Adaptive Comfort for Mobility

For women living with limited ranges of motion due to cancer or, severe arthritis, stroke recovery, MS, ALS, or Parkinson's disease, traditional dressing routines can be painful and exhausting. The intuitive design of an Untethered gown means:

No arm lifting or painful overhead stretching is required to get dressed.

Stress-free dressing changes that reduce physical exertion for both the wearer and the caregiver.

Seamless access for daily hygiene, brief changes, and incontinence care.

Designed by a Nurse, Crafted for Humanity

Today, every Untethered gown is meticulously crafted from 94% organic cotton. They are thoughtfully designed to give healthcare teams the precise clinical access they need for IV lines, ports and patient care while helping women feel covered, comfortable, and exactly like themselves.

Every gown I fold reminds me of Maryellen. Every package I wrap makes me think of the promise I made.

She never had the chance to wear an Untethered gown. But because of her, thousands of women can experience a little more comfort, dignity, and humanity during some of life’s hardest moments.

That is her legacy. And it is the absolute heart of Untethered.