Kiwi business redesigns, redefines diabetes experience

Bridget Scanlan’s Wellington-based start-up business is out to turn the daily diabetes experience on its head with a range of unique designer bags.

Bridget Scanlan’s pancreas died when she was 20. Blurry vision and dramatic weight loss swiftly followed. It was a scary time, made more so by a confronting diagnosis she knew little about: Type 1 Diabetes. Overnight she went from independently producing insulin and regulating blood sugar, to manually handling dozens of blood sugar tests and insulin injections every day.

It’s a similar story shared by millions of Type 1 Diabetics worldwide. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the world, affecting 422 million people globally – of which approximately five to ten percent are Type 1. Stanford University research estimates that people managing diabetes make around 180 extra health-related decisions a day to keep themselves safe. And along with this steep learning curve, comes plenty of equipment that has to follow you everywhere you go.

These medical supplies are a daily lifesaver — but a constant burden.

It’s a common feeling. Through Bridget’s research connecting with hundreds of other diabetics around the world, she found a shared truth: many people didn’t feel good about taking their equipment with them; so didn’t feel great about treatment either.

“It sparked a thought”, says Bridget (pictured above). “Could smarter design empower people to feel better about dealing with daily treatment? I wanted to redesign diabetes, so we could all redefine it.”

Combining her backgrounds in fashion design and entrepreneurship, Bridget took the diabetes status quo head on. In 2018, she launched KYT — short for KEEPING YOU TOGETHER – designer bags, designed for diabetes.

After selling out of her first design multiple times, KYT’s back with three newly refined, newly designed styles that turns the daily diabetes experience on its head. “Every zip, every angle, every equipment detail has been influenced by the insights gathered from the hundreds of incredible diabetics who’ve opened up and shared their diabetes stories (and gripes) with me,” says Bridget. “I hope these new designs bring them some serious feel-good.”

THE NEW RELEASES:

SideKYT is your life-organizing, equipment-sorting sidekick; a contemporary crossbody on the outside, with magic on the inside. The bag splits in two; sorting life stuff up front, and diabetes stuff out back. Equipment is smartly organized so you know you’ve got all you need at a glance. A testing station lets you test blood glucose levels straight from the bag. And a trash pouch snaps off to empty test-strips in a flash.

SideKYT+ answers the brief from diabetics who wanted a bigger crossbody option to take more – more spares, more room for pump users (who depend on different equipment), and more peace of mind.

StarterKYT keeps your supplies on the sly, with what is (possibly) the most compact diabetes case in the world; made for all those who asked for a smarter way to take just the essentials. About the size of a sunglasses case, it packs more than meets the eye — smartly locking together with magnets, it unfolds completely flat to create a testing station, then folds back together in a snap.

The three styles are all ethically crafted from consciously sourced premium leather and hardware. Every bag sold also contributes to charities helping to get crucial diabetes supplies to those in need.

Along the way, Bridget has shared her journey with the diabetes community, who’ve been full of support, excitement, and many gentle reminders to “please hurry up.”

This is something they’ve been waiting for since their own diabetes stories started, says Bridget. “As one customer put it: ‘I’ve been waiting fifty years for a bag like this’.”

KYT is gearing-up to launch the new styles through a crowdfunding campaign. People can now register for VIP pre-launch pricing and to be first to get their hands on the new styles at kytbags.com.

Bridget is most excited for the collection to open a deeper connection point for others like her. 

“Diabetes is often a quiet condition – something we deal with bravely, in our own way each day. But it’s also an experience we all share. Like it has for me, I hope KYT becomes a way for others to connect with the vibrant, supportive, empowering diabetes community out there, too.”