When Sundance was canceled back in January because of covid, my partner Mike and our friends Tia and Aisha opted to spend the film festival weekend in an air bnb in the mountains. The house had a trap door with a ladder leading to Aisha’s bedroom. She slipped, slammed her arm on the opening, and broke her humerus bone in two places (the head separated from the length of the bone which had a spiral break). She was rushed to the emergency room, but (because of covid) there were no beds available so they couldn’t do the recommended surgery. They set her bone as best they could and sent her home. Because of the severity of her breaks and lack of a proper cast, she was in constant pain, couldn’t even bath, and had to sleep upright on the couch! It would be THREE WEEKS of this before she finally got to see a shoulder specialist! Three weeks of mental anguish not knowing if every move she made was pulling her bone further apart or causing it to heal incorrectly. By the time she saw the specialist, he determined that maybe surgery this far along wouldn’t be the best option (afterall, 30 degrees of twist in her bone is totally acceptable). I was driving her to see this specialist and seeing how the American Healthcare System was failing someone I love put me in a dark place (so I can’t even imagine what she was really going through). On one drive to see a specialist, she came out with a hoodie tied over her shoulder, so I decided she needed something more practical. I made her a reversible capelet that she could put on and take off with one hand. The paisley side for casual and the white if she ever needed something more formal. 5 months later, her bone bits finally reconnected. While this experience might have caused me to lose faith in our healthcare system, it has also reminded me that the human body can work wonders on its own. Aisha, the way you’ve persisted and kept your spirits up has been an inspiration. You’re a powerful amazonian Wonder Woman, and I’m sure your arm is going to be 100% again if nothing else but by the strength of your will. 💪 #costumedesigner #capelet #realwonderwoman #americanhealthcaresucks #humanbodyisthebestworkofart