How a UAE couple’s son inspired a children’s art mismatched sock brand

Abu Dhabi: Meet Eli Loehmer. He is five years old, attends FS2 at a school in Abu Dhabi and, according to his mother Estelle, loves socks more than anything.

“He loves wearing socks,” she says.

Eli was born with Down syndrome, a diagnosis that brought uncertainty, medical challenges and a rethink of what his parents had imagined family life would look like. But it also introduced Wade and Estelle Loehmer to a community that supported them when they needed it most.

Today, the UAE-based couple are paying that kindness forward through Included & Perfectly Different, a community initiative bringing together families of children with additional needs and helping parents navigate their journeys together.

Alongside it is a colourful business, Perfectly Different Socks, which turns children's drawings into wearable designs, giving young artists a platform to showcase their creativity.

The idea has since attracted the attention of ASICS Middle East, which partnered with the family for a community run on October 25, during Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Participants wore mismatched socks from the brand's Endless Possibilities collection.

But the story began long before the run. It started with a diagnosis that changed the family's expectations – and eventually their outlook on life.

Finding out

Originally from South Africa, the couple moved to the UAE 11 years ago. Estelle was six months pregnant with their first child.

“We've been calling the UAE home for the last 11 years, and are very thankful to call it home,” says Wade, a senior project manager in real estate development.

They learnt about Eli's Down syndrome diagnosis early in the pregnancy.

“We sat in the doctor's room and looked up at all the signboards where there was a lot of information related to Down syndrome. I remember seeing it and just glancing over it, not knowing that two hours later, we would start getting information that potentially Eli had Down syndrome,” Wade recalls.

For Estelle, the news was a shock. “We wanted a third child, and then when we found out about Eli, it was a bit of a shock. It was like dealing with knowing that life was going to look a little bit different.”

The uncertainty continued after his birth. Eli experienced significant medical complications, including heart-related concerns and pulmonary hypertension. Within weeks, he had emergencies that required urgent hospital visits. There were frightening moments when he turned blue and became unresponsive.

The family faced a succession of medical appointments and unanswered questions. But they also found support from doctors, teachers and other families who shared their experiences and offered reassurance.

“Once we embraced it and changed our perspective, it's been an incredible journey. It has its challenges. It's not always easy, but it's been amazing, the people that you meet along the way,” Estelle says.

That support left a lasting impression on the couple.

“Through it all, the community has been there helping us, encouraging us, praying for us,” Wade says. “Ultimately, that led to us wanting to be that for other parents.”

A different journey, not a lesser one

Estelle often refers to Welcome to Holland, a 1987 essay by American author and social activist Emily Perl Kingsley about raising a child with a disability.

It compares the experience to planning a holiday in Italy, only to find yourself landing in Holland instead.

“You've booked your flight to Italy, packed your bags and you're ready for this beautiful trip. Then you land, and they say, ‘Welcome to Holland’. And you're like, but I'm not supposed to be in Holland. I'm supposed to be in Italy,” she says.

For the Loehmers, accepting that unexpected journey also meant learning to appreciate milestones differently.

Eli has two older siblings, Luca, 10, and Amalie, eight. His parents say the children have developed an instinctive understanding of inclusion, even as they have the usual sibling disagreements.

“They just accept that this is my brother. If Eli takes the cucumber on their plate, they'll fight back, and vice versa. There's a real brother-and-sisterly love around it all,” Wade says.

“They fight normally, but they adore him. He adores them,” Estelle adds.

Eli's milestones have also brought the family a different kind of joy.

“He took a bit longer to sit. But when he sat, the whole family was over the moon. When he started walking, it took him two years. But he started walking, and now he's running, and now I can't catch him anymore,” she laughs.

Raising Eli has changed how his parents view achievement, too.

“You're no longer confined to what milestones the world has predicted or what performance is expected. There is so much beauty in different areas,” Wade tells Gulf News.

Building a community

The idea for Included & Perfectly Different grew from a desire to offer other families the reassurance the Loehmers had received.

After Eli's health stabilised, the couple began reaching out to parents through WhatsApp groups and personal networks. They organised informal gatherings every three to six weeks, initially bringing together families of children with Down syndrome and other additional needs.

Some meetings focused on particular topics, while others simply gave parents an opportunity to meet over coffee. As the group grew, they invited speakers from schools, inclusion specialists, speech and occupational therapists, and professionals working in inclusive sport.

The aim was to make the gatherings welcoming to entire families, not just parents.

“We wanted to be a community where the word ‘included’, which is part of our name, is highlighted. Bring the whole family. If you have siblings, bring them along. We want to create a community where families feel loved and supported,” Wade says.

“Just for a parent to come, have a good cup of coffee and chat with other parents – that's the heart behind it,” Estelle adds.

Today, the group has around 30 families from different backgrounds. Some have older children, while others have joined soon after receiving a diagnosis during pregnancy.

For Estelle, knowing that newly diagnosed parents have somewhere to turn is particularly important.

“You always wonder what life will look like. When they're babies, it's easy to think about the present. But as they get older, you start asking: Will they have friends? Will they have a community? Will there be somewhere they are accepted?” she says.

“That is what we have been trying to create through Included & Perfectly Different. No matter where you are from or what your child's diagnosis is, everybody is welcome.”

A sock with a story

As the community grew, so did the need to make the initiative financially sustainable.

During a gathering in 2023, a parent asked how the couple were funding the events. Until then, they had largely been paying for them themselves. The conversation prompted them to look for a way to generate income to support the initiative.

They found inspiration in March 21, World Down Syndrome Day. The date represents the third copy of chromosome 21 associated with Down syndrome, while brightly coloured and mismatched socks have become a recognised symbol of awareness.

The couple wondered whether they could turn that symbol into something more meaningful. They asked their eldest son, Luca, to create the first drawing, then worked with a designer to translate his artwork into a sock pattern. The first batch was produced in time for World Down Syndrome Day in March 2023.

The response from the children's school and the wider community encouraged them to continue. They subsequently invited other children to contribute artwork, naming each design after its young creator and sharing the original drawing and the child's story alongside the product.

The idea was to make the child, rather than just the design, the focus.

“Every sock has a name, and every sock you wear has a story. You can go on the website, see the person, the original artwork and how it has been turned into a sock,” Wade explains.

The concept has since expanded beyond children with Down syndrome.

Its latest collection, Endless Possibilities, features designs by Aarti, Beauden and Seif, athletes associated with Heroes of Hope, a sports academy for children with additional needs.

The children were invited to interpret what endless possibilities meant to them. Three designs were selected and turned into socks.

The range is designed for both sporting and everyday use, including corporate wear. For the Loehmers, the collection represents a broader ambition: giving more children the opportunity to share their creativity and have their work recognised.

Growing beyond one day

What began as a small initiative linked to one awareness day has developed into a growing business.

The first production order was around 200 pairs in 2023. A corporate order the following year helped increase volumes to approximately 800 pairs, rising to around 1,600 in 2025.

This year, the couple brought in 5,000 pairs for the latest collection.

One corporate customer, which initially approached them for customised socks in its own brand colours, has continued placing orders. A large order was also distributed to recipients in different parts of the world, helping take the designs beyond the UAE.

The couple have also changed their manufacturing arrangements. The latest collection was produced in South Africa through a factory that employs women from the local community.

“We found a factory that has a local initiative to employ women from the community. We felt that resonated with us because there is a story behind what the factory stands for,” Wade says.

The next challenge is to move beyond seasonal demand around World Down Syndrome Day and build sales throughout the year.

That matters because proceeds from the socks are reinvested into the community initiative. This includes an inclusion scholarship programme established with a school to help subsidise therapy costs for families already managing school fees and learning support expenses.

Estelle says the aim is to ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent a child from accessing the support they need.

The couple are also exploring ways to expand manufacturing. One longer-term ambition is to establish a factory in the UAE and employ people of determination.

“Imagine getting to a point where we can start our own factory in the UAE and employ people of determination. You are actually closing the loop in its entirety,” Wade says.

For the founders, that would extend the initiative's purpose beyond celebrating children's abilities to creating meaningful employment opportunities for adults.

Running as one

The brand's growing visibility has opened doors to partnerships, including its collaboration with ASICS Middle East in October.

The community run on October 25 was part of the sportswear company's Run as One campaign. Participants wore mismatched socks from the Endless Possibilities collection, bringing people of different backgrounds and fitness levels together around a shared message of inclusion.

The partnership was a natural fit for the founders, who enjoy running themselves.

Nikola Djordjevic, Deputy General Manager, Marketing, ASICS Middle East, said the initiative reflected the company's belief that running should be accessible regardless of ability, experience or goals.

“Run as One is about inclusion and giving people an opportunity to move together and connect with others. It also encourages more people to start running and supports them as they work towards their goals, including preparing for races across the region,” he said.

For a small homegrown brand, such partnerships also offer an opportunity to reach audiences beyond its immediate community.

Wade and Estelle say they initially allowed the sock business to grow organically rather than invest heavily in marketing. They are now recognising how greater visibility could help the initiative reach more families and customers.

The bigger picture

The Loehmers are still building. They hope to expand the community into different neighbourhoods, making it easier for families to meet regularly, with the longer-term ambition of having a dedicated space of their own.

The sock business provides a way to support that goal while giving children a platform to tell their stories.

And what does Eli make of it all?

At five, he loves wearing socks and seeing his friends at community gatherings. His parents say he is not yet fully aware of the story behind the brand or the role he has played in shaping it.

Looking back, Wade and Estelle say having Eli has opened doors they might never otherwise have encountered. It has changed how they understand patience, achievement and the different ways a child can flourish.

“Having Eli hasn't limited us in any way. Yes, some things are slower. We need to consider therapy and repetition. But we get to celebrate his accomplishments,” Estelle says.

The little boy whose early milestones once had his parents anxiously watching every step is now running faster than they can keep up.

And along the way, he has helped his family build something bigger: a community where children can create, play, connect and, most importantly, belong.