Josh Riley (left) and his Allergist/Immunologist Dr. Brian Schroer show off their stylin’ socks for #NationalSockDay.
For Josh Riley, these socks are more than just another thing taking up room in the dresser drawer.
At 18 months old, Josh was diagnosed with eosinophilic gastroenteritis, a rare disease known for food-related reactions, infiltration of certain white blood cells called eosinophils in the gastrointestinal tract, and an increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood. After years of living with the illness, Josh found an out-of-the-ordinary way to express his feelings about the disease: sock design.
Josh started “Lives of Riley,” where customers can choose from a variety of socks with designs that illustrate Josh’s feelings towards his medications, triggers and the disease overall.
Designs are shown left to right with descriptions by Josh. Cheese Monster: Cheese has become the arch nemesis. This is how I see the Cheese Monster as it rampages through my personal Gastric City looking to destroy anything in its path. Inhaler Tetris: Throughout life I’ve constantly juggled multiple inhalers. Any person with asthma or an eosinophilic disorders knows the routine. This design shows what it’s like dealing with those medications like a game of Tetris. EosinoVILLAINS: Eosinophils are good. Too many eosinophils are bad. Those fighting Eosinophilic Diseases see our white blood cells as villains. We reimagined them as famous villains from film and myth.
“I created these socks to tell the stories of this disease,” says Josh. “Some of these stories are good, some of them are tough, but my goal is to empower people not to be afraid of the unknown when it comes to eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.”
Josh’s socks bring attention to an invisible illness while also giving back. “I wanted hospitalized kids to have a way to personalize themselves while wearing a hospital gown,” Josh said.
Dr. Schroer has been helping Josh manage his disease for about 5 years and loves showing his support. “I wear the socks every time they come up in the rotation,” he said of the 4 different pairs he has.
Josh gave the doctor the socks soon after they were produced a few years ago. “I noticed he liked funky sock during an appointment. I’m really happy he enjoys them, too.”
Join Josh and Dr. Schroer today with your own funky socks!
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