Cosgrove Brothers Create T-shirts for Cancer Patients

Connor and Clint designed a t-shirt that looks stylish but allow unique pocket access for chemotherapy.

Connor ’09 and Clint ’01 Cosgrove have been earning a lot of attention lately. Last October, the brothers created and launched ComfPort, a line of fashion-forward t-shirts designed to alleviate discomfort during cancer treatment by including functional pockets that open for access.

Connor, who attended the University of Minnesota and was on the football team there, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2010 and, after undergoing chemotherapy, was declared cancer-free in December 2013. He says, “During my first chemotherapy, I immediately noticed how uncomfortable it was—obviously to be receiving chemo—but also because I had to take my shirt off at least to get this port accessed,” Connor told Yahoo Sports. “And when I put my shirt back on, the IV line was being pulled side to side by my movement because the shirt would clamp onto it. Immediately it was a problem that I wanted to fix.”

“When you are diagnosed with cancer, many of life's comforts, and much of your identity, are stripped from you,” he wrote. “Simple things like being at ease, and the ability to dress like you normally would can quickly become a distant luxury. We didn’t want people to feel like they had to dress different just for the sake of getting treatment. So, we built a shirt that we would wear outside of the hospital.”

The brothers took their business to Kickstarter in April 2015, and have since raised more than $38,000 to fund their project. For every t-shirt they sell, the brothers will donate one shirt to a cancer patient, Connor notes on their Kickstarter page. To support the project, click here or visit facebook.com/Comfport.

The story has also attracted attention in larger markets like Chicago, where the Tribune ran a story on Connor’s experience and the brothers’ business venture, and People Magazine, who ran a story in June.