“Sick” isn’t just his diagnosis — it’s stencilled on every piece of clothing Cody McKee makes.
Diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) five years ago at 17, McKee is the founder of Sick Clothing, a brand that advocates for his illness and others who are fighting their own battles.
“I didn’t have a purpose. I was waking up every day with all this chronic pain, my mental health was going and I just needed something to do,” said McKee.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is a group of conditions, McKee said, in which the blood vessels and nerves around one’s neck are compressed which leads to neck and shoulder pain. In McKee’s case, this caused him to lose a major amount of mobility and use of his right arm, something he has since been working on regaining through physical therapy and medical treatments.
Only about 500 people in the nation with TOS, McKee continues to navigate unprecedented waters in the hope of finding a concrete solution to his ailment.
McKee said, “I’ve come to find that if you’re not doing good, your physical side gets worse. It’s just finding that balance and not giving up hope at the end of the day.”
With constant hospital visits and chronic pain plaguing him, he decided he wouldn’t let his illness define who he is.
Having a knack for fashion from a young age, along with the support of his family, he decided to turn his hobby into a business.
“Going through all this pain, you have to find something that keeps you going. For me, making these clothes and receiving everyone’s feedback is what’s making me better at the end of the day,” said McKee. “I take those super small wins throughout my day and they help me get better. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things like walking around the block or showering every day.”
McKee is mindful of making good-quality pieces through locally sourced goods and takes the extra step of pre-shrinking his products. He also relies on using UV lights to bleach the pieces and maintain the standard he has set for himself.
“He is really thinking about customer experience. I looked him up on Instagram and thought that this looks really cool,” said Jordan Sargeant, a customer happy with her experience at a pop-up store.
“You can tell he is eager to do well and make things that people enjoy; he is all about customer service.”
McKee pays special attention to providing the best customer experience with every interaction. Everything he produces is handmade pieces which can’t be replicated, sticking to his belief that each human is unique.
“Don’t let anything stop you in life because nothing really can, other than death,” said McKee.
