In our book and on this website, Dr. Ehrlich has extolled the wet PJ approach to eczema care. Thus we were very receptive to Beth when we heard about her products. She recently did a Q&A with us for her company blog, and when we heard that she was traveling to Scandinavia on a Colorado state export mission, we decided to return the favor. We have always tried to show the global dimensions of the allergy epidemic, and overseas interest in AD RescueWear showed yet another element of this global problem. – Henry Ehrlich
What are you learning about the size of this market from the response to your product? Are more kids suffering than you imagined? We did know starting out that 10 – 20% of all children in the US will suffer from some type of eczema. It has been eye opening, though, how many children around the world are suffering. Very quickly after launching our website we were contacted by customers from around the world. So, yes it has confirmed to us that there is a very large market worldwide.
Do you have much contact directly with parents? What do they tell you about their children? Do these contacts increase your sense of mission? We do get a lot of calls and e-mails from parents and grandparents looking to relieve their child’s or grandchild’s eczema. When I speak with a parent, I immediately feel empathy for them. I remember so well what a frustrating struggle treating a child’s eczema can be. When I hear their story it definitely increases my sense of mission. The parents I speak with are so thankful. I had one father thank me for making his child a little girl again as she had been so miserable before wet wrap therapy in our products. Another mom called me to say that her baby had stopped scratching and slept through the night for the first time in weeks. I remember feeling that tired and desperate when trying to treat my son and it reminds me why I invented the Wrap-E-Soothe Suit and launched a line of products to make wet wrap therapy easier.
I understand that you are receiving interest from overseas markets. What have you learned about the extent of the atopic dermatitis epidemic worldwide? From our experience it seems to be a big problem worldwide. Some children have mild eczema and some more severe but their parents are all want one thing – for their child to stop scratching and be a happy kid again. Currently our Wrap-E-Soothe suit is the only one of its kind in the world so I think that’s why we have seen such worldwide interest. We now sell our products with on-line retailers in the UK, Canada and Ireland and we hope to add more European countries soon.
I know that Dr. Ehrlich has gotten very good reports on your products from the parents to whom he gave the samples you sent him. What response have you gotten from other doctors? Have they given you any feedback that will improve your operations in the future? We’re so happy that our products have been helpful for some of Dr. Ehrlich’s patients. We’re also happy to report that other doctors and nurses using our products have all come back with success stories. It really validates that our products are filling a need. We have had many requests for larger sizes, hats and gloves. We have plans to expand our product line and make larger sizes. It’s hard to tell a parent we don’t have the size or product to help them. At AD RescueWear, we want to help everyone with eczema because we know firsthand the struggles.
Finally, I can’t resist. I have heard that you are personally a fan of our book, and that you have learned things from it that have been valuable in managing your own family allergy issues. Could you share with our readers some of the things you find most useful? I highly recommend your book! When my child was first diagnosed with allergies, eczema and asthma I was so overwhelmed. It is impossible to know which questions to ask at the doctor’s office. I find that you have to be a great detective when your child has allergies, eczema and asthma and finding a reliable resource for that information can be hard. The doctor only has so much time and there can be so many unknowns. The book has been such a good resource and I’ve become aware of things that I didn’t know to ask before reading it. I personally think that the asthma treatment outlined by Dr. Chiaramonte and Dr. Ehrlich is essential. This part of the book really explains what’s happening when a child is experiencing asthma. I also learned more about allergic rhinitis and we now have an appointment to discuss this at our son’s next doctor appointment. I still refer to you book as my child is growing and changing and his symptoms seem to be changing.
{Note: Apart from a few samples sent to Dr. Ehrlich’s office mentioned above, we don’t get anything from Ad RescueWear.}