Although Ball State students haven't been able to redesign the effects of cancer, some of them are redesigning clothes for cancer patients.
Ball State apparel and fashion merchandizing students have been designing hospital gowns for the oncology unit at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.
The class is called Redesigning Cancer, and it served as an immersive learning program for junior and senior apparel and fashion design and merchandising students for the first five weeks Summer Session.
The students designed alternatives to hospital gowns that were more comfortable and more accessible for oncology patients to wear.
"There are so many different majors on campus that can get a philanthropic view on things, and fashion isn't really one of those, but this was like that," Redesigning Cancer production manager Caitlin Marshall said. "We were actually able to help people."
The class spoke with certain patients in the hospital to see what types of changes they wanted for their hospital gowns.
One common request were hospital gowns that did not reveal the patients' backsides. All of the alternative gowns and robes have ties on the side to wrap fabric around the back side of the garment.
Valerie Birk, instructor of family and consumer sciences, said nurses have to rip holes into the hospital gowns now for ports and wires for the oncology patients so they can get their medicine. The alternatives the students created each include two breast pockets with holes already in them for ports and wires.
The students came up with designs of two different lengths in fashionable gowns for women, two flannel print robes for men and one set of a shirt and shorts for men.
A lot of the students have seen family members battle cancer. Cameron Mohler, technical manager of Redesign Cancer, said having a masculine alternative to the hospital gowns would be appreciated.
"I had a grandpa and a grandma who both had cancer," he said. "My grandpa never wanted anyone to come see him because he was wearing a gown."
Aside from production and technical teams, students also built a team of pattern makers. They were able to use a process called sublimation for one of the women's gowns.
The students were able to create a light purple design with leopard print and breast cancer ribbons on a large iron and then heat transfer that design onto separate fabric, Kathy Mayer, one of the pattern makers, said.
Marshall said it was great to see the students could come up with ideas and have them made during the five week course.
The project was made possible by a Provost Immersive Learning Initiative grant worth $17,000. Birk said they would like to do the project again, but it will be a matter of finding more funding before they can start planning.
Trenton Bush, instructor of family and consumer sciences, said the project is a good way to show students there is more to fashion that frivolous outfits.
"It is not all runways, and it is not all the glitz and glamor," he said. "These gowns are actually going to improve the life of those patients."
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