Cancer patients can lose many parts of their identity when fighting their battles. Former Gophers wide receiver Connor Cosgrove knows this all too well.
Besides the flowing locks of hair he lost when he was forced to shave his head, Cosgrove also had to forego something else personal to him during chemotherapy: his shirt.
When Cosgrove was diagnosed with leukemia back in 2010, he went to the hospital for the first of what would become many chemotherapy sessions. In order to access his port -- the disc-shaped object implanted in his chest to aid in chemotherapy -- he had to take his shirt off. To Cosgrove, it was another small comfort (and part of his dignity) that cancer had taken from him.
That inconvenience was just one more hurdle he had to overcome. But he did it, because at that time he had no other choice.
"I was already insanely uncomfortable with the entire situation, and then on top of that, so much of your life is taken from you when you're sick and so much of you dignity is stripped from you," Cosgrove said. "It was one more thing that I was losing of myself, not even being able to wear my own clothes when I went to have my treatments."
It was way back then that Cosgrove formed an idea that is now becoming a reality: T-shirts that cancer patients can wear to make the chemotherapy process a more comfortable one.
The design of the shirts includes an opening where the patient's port is accessed. When looking at the shirt from an outsider's perspective, one would have no idea that it's multi-functional. But a few buttons above a patch on the right side can unbutton to provide access to the port. The name of Cosgrove's company, ComfPort, sums up the two biggest functions of these shirts.
"That was actually probably the first name that I'd thought of many years ago," Cosgrove said. "The biggest goal of this was being comfortable. We wanted people to look at the name and to think comfort. . . . We also were able to mix in the namesake of the company with what our shirts do and the purpose of the shirts. It just worked out perfectly."
Since the idea was hatched, Cosgrove and his brother have gone through between 15 to 20 prototypes. They tried to figure out the best way to attach the pocket -- velcro, tape and various buttons were all used before finally getting it right -- and they also experimented with different fabrics. Cosgrove ultimately chose a fabric made of bamboo, which he says is much more comfortable than regular cotton, but also more expensive.
Connor Cosgrove (right)
That's where Cosgrove's Kickstarter campaign came in. The ComfPort project has several expenses, including building a website where the shirts can be purchased, as well as the production of the shirts themselves. Cosgrove also wants to be able to make shirts for children, something near and dear to him since he was treated at a pediatric hospital.
Though Cosgrove has found a company to make the shirts, ComfPort needs to bring a large enough order to make the production feasible. Cosgrove's goal was to raise $30,000 by May 14. As of Thursday morning, ComfPort had already surpassed that goal by raising $30,622. ComfPort's status as a one-for-one company means that for each T-shirt purchased, a cancer patient will also receive a shirt for free.
"We want to build a community of support," Cosgrove said. "Honestly, the coolest part has been seeing that already coming into form and hearing those stories and being able to talk to people we never would have been able to connect with. Hopefully we can all just help each other because it's such a hard time and nobody should have to go through it alone."
Cosgrove never played a snap for the University of Minnesota football team. A native of Fitchburg, Wis., he originally enrolled at St. Cloud State but never saw the field as a freshman. Cosgrove then transferred to Minnesota, but his football career came to a screeching halt in 2010 with his leukemia diagnosis.
For years while he was recovering, Cosgrove remained on the roster and could often be found on the Gophers' sidelines, wearing his No. 14 jersey as he served as an inspiration for his teammates. He developed a special bond with Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill, who is also a cancer survivor. He developed a special bond with Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill, who is also a cancer survivor.
When Cosgrove saw Kill last week at the team's facilities, he brought some ComfPort shirts to show his old coach.
"He loved it," Cosgrove said of Kill. "He's like parents in everything I do. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me when he backs me on something. He's been so supportive through everything."
At the time Cosgrove was first diagnosed with leukemia, he asked his doctor when all the treatments would be over. His doctor wrote that date on a Post-It note, and Cosgrove kept that note with him, looking at it every day as a reminder to keep fighting.
In December of 2013, Cosgrove had his last chemotherapy session. His final date of treatment, Jan. 13, 2014, is a day he'll never forget.
Now cancer-free and healthy, there's one more important date looming for Cosgrove: graduation day. He'll graduate from the University of Minnesota on May 14, the same day his Kickstarter campaign comes to an end.
"It's a day that I never thought would come," Cosgrove said. "It's been a long time coming."
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