A Mother’s Elegant Solution to a Life-Threatening Problem
The startup is a testament to the power of necessity-driven innovation.
[Photo courtesy of Gus Gear]
Sarah Palya never imagined she would become an entrepreneur. Her journey began with a simple yet profound goal: to improve her son Gus’s quality of life. Gus, though healthy at birth, developed intestinal failure and required numerous medical devices including a central line, feeding tube and an ostomy. As a mother navigating the complexities of these devices, Sarah found herself constantly worried about their security and the risks associated with their use.
The turning point came when Gus was seven years old and received his first central line. The medical instructions were clear: keep it secure and safe from accidental pulls or infections. But for a child with severe autism and a tendency for self-injury, this was an almost impossible task. Sarah vividly remembers the sleepless nights and the constant vigilance required to protect Gus’s central line.
“I knew there had to be a better way,” she recalls. “I couldn’t bear the thought of spending our lives in the hospital because of a device malfunction.”
Innovation Born from Necessity
Determined to find a solution, Sarah began experimenting with various designs to secure Gus’s central line. She sewed countless prototypes at her kitchen table—each iteration bringing her closer to a workable solution. Eventually, she created a vest that provided the security and comfort Gus needed. From there, Gus Gear was launched.
“At first, it was just for Gus,” Sarah says. “I had no plans to turn it into a business. But then other parents in our community started noticing and asked if I could make one for their children too.”
Encouraged by the positive feedback from other medical moms and support groups, Sarah opened an Etsy shop to sell the vests. Orders trickled in and word spread about the effectiveness of her design. Hospitals began to take notice as well.
“I remember getting a call from a hospital that kept seeing our vests on kids in their clinic,” Sarah recalls. “They wanted to buy them directly for their patients. That was a lightbulb moment for me. I realized there was a much larger need for this product.”
Scaling Up
In 2019, with demand growing, Sarah knew it was time to scale up production. She connected with AlphaLab Gear, a Pittsburgh-based accelerator, which helped her navigate the complexities of manufacturing and business development. Through these connections, she partnered with designers and manufacturers to produce the vests on a larger scale while maintaining the quality she was committed to.
“It was a challenging transition,” she admits. “But I was fortunate to find a great team here in Pittsburgh who believed in our mission.”
Expanding National Reach
Community word of mouth and support from health care professionals have so far fueled incredible growth. Because adoption led to fewer accidents—which led to fewer readmissions—hospital system administrators took notice. Today, Gus Gear’s products are used in about a third of pediatric hospitals across the United States.
Sarah’s goal is to reach all pediatric hospitals and expand into adult hospitals over the next three years. The feedback from healthcare providers and patients beyond pediatrics has been overwhelmingly positive, further validating the need for securement solutions. To fuel that growth, Sarah is currently focused on a $1 million raise to expand sales and marketing efforts.
Her experience has shown the importance of building strong relationships with healthcare professionals and investors who share her vision and she is eager to engage with clinicians as champions, advisors or investors.
“Our mission is to get these products to every patient who needs them,” she emphasizes. “The faster we can grow, the more lives we can impact.”
Sarah Palya’s journey from a concerned mother to the founder of Gus Gear is a testament to the power of necessity-driven innovation. Her dedication to improving her son’s life has become a company making a tangible difference in the lives of patients and their families not only in the United States, but across the world.
Sarah Palya is the founder and CEO of Gus Gear Inc., a Pittsburgh-based medical textile company that makes securement devices for central lines, feeding tubes and peritoneal dialysis catheters. Sarah is focused on maximizing patient safety and quality of life by innovating solutions that can be applied to both inpatient and outpatient segments. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Master of Business Administration, Sarah is passionate about leading the field of device securement to improve safety, quality of life and long-term outcomes for patients.
“As soon as I realized its profound impact on our quality of life as a family, I knew that other families would be able to benefit and find the same peace of mind.”
~Founder & CEO, Sarah Palya
To find out more about Gus Gear’s mission, research and complete product line, visit their website: gusgear.net
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