Setting up a business is no mean feat, but when you have a number of different disabilities, it becomes even more difficult.

But this is exactly what Thomas Barry did when, in 2019, together with his father and nephew, he launched Thomas’s Trendy Socks, a range of colourful and practical footwear, which is not only ‘a must have fashion item’ but will also raise funds for charity and on top of that aims to awareness of the need to discuss mental health issues and reduce the stigma to help those suffering in silence.

Based in Dublin, the business is run by the trio and Thomas’s nephew Shane says, despite the restrictions posed by the pandemic, the ‘cool and funky’ sock business is steady. 

“My grandfather Finbar came up with the idea as ever since he was young, Thomas has always wanted a job but due to the fact that he has both physical and mental disabilities, he was unable to have one,” he says. “So the business was set up to give Thomas and job and a sense of purpose in life. 

“We decided to focus the business on socks as throughout his life, he has loved playing with them so, this seemed the obvious choice. And as my background is in web development and marketing, as a team, Thomas, Finbar and I, were able to but the business together. And right from the start, we wanted to do something different as we all wanted to give something back (to the organisations which have been so beneficial to Thomas throughout his life) and play our part so we decided to donate 5% of profits to the Down Syndrome society.”

Thomas’s dad Finbar agrees and says the product was a natural choice for his son, who has always loved colourful socks. 

“Bearing in mind his disabilities, I looked at options (for possible business ideas) over the years in the hope of providing some way for Thomas to feel like he can have a job just like everybody else and the answer was staring me in the face,” he says. 

“Thomas (now 35) has always played with socks and he is quite an expert on them, after many years of practice. He never really played much with toys in his early childhood but would go nowhere without his socks – I guess the way some children get comfort from a teddy bear; with Thomas it was always the socks. So, we launched Thomas’s Trendy Socks so he could sell the things he loves the most.”

Finbar’s grandson Shane, says that along with raising funds, they also wanted the business to help raise the profile of important issues. 

“As well as donating a share of the profits, we had also planned to raise awareness and help other worthy causes,” he says. “The challenges posed by mental health issues is something we have experienced in our family, so we really wanted to play our part and do something in aid of mental health. And with that in mind, we created a pair of socks – with the slogan ‘It’s Okay, Not to be Okay - to try to help breakdown the stigma surrounding mental health and also to raise funds for Pieta who provide around the clock services for those experiencing suicidal ideation (For every pair sold, the company is donating €2 to Pieta to directly support the battle against mental health issues)

“We all feel strongly that mental health is such an important topic, particularly right now (with the current global crisis) and we aim to create a sense of community and reinforce the message that it really is okay no to be okay through this pair of socks.”

Positive mental health is vital for all of us and Thomas’s family are more than aware of its importance, particularly as he has had so much to deal with throughout his life. 

“Thomas was born with Downs Syndrome as well as a host of other serious illnesses which include Perthes Disease, Hirschsprung Disease, a heart murmur, an under-active thyroid, Hiatus Hernia and stomach Re-flux,” says Shane. 

“As a child he was always sick and spent many months each year in hospital for various illnesses and the condition of his hips really limited his mobility. So at 28, he was the youngest person in Ireland to have a total hip replacement. Even now, he can only walk short distances and requires a wheelchair when going out in public. 

“The issues he has with his stomach have always caused daily discomfort and he is on a long list of medications to help keep his digestive system working – but, even with that he still suffers regularly from constipation and diarrhoea. Then on top of that, his thyroid issue and lack of mobility has resulted in him gaining weight and becoming even more immobile.”

But despite all of these issues, Shane says his uncle is always cheerful.  

“Although Thomas suffers with a lot of illnesses, he embraces his challenges and is always smiling,” says the Dublin man. “He loves to joke and is very light hearted and fun. He is also loving and caring and always up for a challenge. Last year, to help with his mobility, he started exercising and also began to see a dietician to try and help with losing some weight. 

“I really believe that the business has given him a new lease of life. He is always up for creating content for his social media pages and having this job really is his dream. I think by nature Thomas is just a fun and happy person and with the help of a loving family, he has been able to look past his disabilities and show the world all the love and fun he has to offer.”

The main market for Thomas’s Trendy Socks is through online sales but in pre-Covid times, the entrepreneurial family also attended various events in order to sell directly to the public. And, despite having various health problems, Thomas is very much a hands-on participant in his business venture.

“We have an office in Cookstown where we store stock and pack our orders,” says Shane. “Thomas does participate in the packing of socks and he has also hand drawn his own pair for Down Syndrome Awareness - but his main job is to be the face of the company. 

“Along with the online sales, we have also created fun content on social media to engage with people and to date, we have reached over 12k followers @thomp2socks (on Instagram) and over 5k on Facebook. We had a launch day back in May 2019 at the Hampton Hotel in Dublin and since then we have scaled up the business month on month and are looking to grow our customer base and following on social media. 

“People can get involved by following Thomas on our social media platforms where we run competitions and post fun content. They can also purchase socks from our website. All in all, Thomas's Trendy Socks is a really positive venture as he is doing something he loves and has a real sense of achievement while people buying the socks will be supporting great causes and getting a cool product - it's a win-win situation.

For more information visit www.thomp2.com

by ARLENE HARRIS