Our Story: How OrthoBaby Was Born to Empower Families

Our daughter walks with a purple Nimbo walker, so we designed a walker for her American Girl, Joss, to match. Dad brought the idea to life, and she loves having a matching walker for her doll.

That simple project—a toy walker built out of love—sparked something bigger. It made us realize how empowering it is for children to see their abilities and devices reflected in the world around them. For us, that moment was the beginning of OrthoBaby, a small business dedicated to families navigating orthopedic conditions.

Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life

Our journey as parents has been shaped by clubfoot, hip dysplasia, hypotonia, and arthrogryposis. Through it all, we’ve seen firsthand how important it is to feel seen and supported during treatment. When our daughter was in a Pavlik harness for hip dysplasia, we began making adjustments to her clothing to accommodate her needs. Little things, like creating colorful harness covers and finding sleep sacks designed for treatment, helped make her care more comfortable for her—and easier for us.

These small changes inspired us to create products that help families feel supported during treatment while celebrating their unique experiences. From practical Pavlik harness covers to doll accessories that reflect kids’ devices, OrthoBaby grew out of our passion for creating meaningful, inclusive products.

Mom and Dad’s Roles in OrthoBaby

At OrthoBaby, we’ve found that our strengths complement each other perfectly. Dad, a Georgia Tech graduate and former design engineer, is the more creative one. He’s always dreaming up new ideas for doll accessories that represent kids’ abilities and help them feel included. Whether it’s designing a doll walker or tiny braces, he blends his technical expertise with a sense of play and imagination to create meaningful products.

Mom, on the other hand, is the researcher. She’s the one diving into parent groups, learning from other families, and figuring out what would be most helpful. This focus on understanding families’ needs inspires her designs, like treatment milestone cards and journals. She also researches all of OrthoBaby’s blog posts, ensuring they’re packed with helpful tips and insights that resonate with other parents.

Together, we balance creativity with practicality, always keeping families at the heart of what we do.

Products That Celebrate Milestones

We believe every step in treatment deserves to be celebrated, and we’ve developed products to help families do just that. Our treatment milestone cards allow parents to capture special moments like "First Time in Braces" or "Graduation Day." These cards highlight progress and celebrate the many important moments along the way.

We also create memory books where families can document their child’s treatment journey. These keepsakes allow parents to reflect on their child’s growth and preserve the big and small victories they’ll cherish forever.

Representation Matters

One of our core missions at OrthoBaby is to create products that reflect the diversity of children’s experiences. Our doll accessories, like walkers, braces, and AFOs, allow kids to see their toys as reflections of themselves. Whether it’s a child with a Nimbo walker or one wearing orthotic braces, we want them to feel that their experience is not just unique, but worth celebrating.

Seeing a child recognize their own devices in their toys is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. It’s about helping them feel seen, valued, and included.

Supporting Families Everywhere

Starting OrthoBaby has allowed us to connect with families all over the world. From sharing tips in parent groups to celebrating milestones together, we are building a community that truly understands the joys and challenges of orthopedic treatment.

Each product we create is made with thoughtfulness and care. Whether it’s a fun doll accessory or a functional harness cover, we hope it brings a little extra light to your family’s day.

We also love hearing from you! Seeing pictures of your little ones with their new doll accessories or hearing stories about how our products have made a difference in your lives means so much to us.

Dad also enjoys including an inspirational note with each gift order. It’s his way of sharing a small bit of encouragement and reminding kiddos how strong and amazing they are.

Why We Do What We Do

At the heart of OrthoBaby is a belief in the power of representation, creativity, and connection. Every product starts with a story—ours or yours—and is designed to bring joy to families navigating orthopedic challenges.

We’d love to be part of your family’s story too! Explore our shop today to find products that celebrate and support your little one—and bring a little extra joy to your journey.