Erika Deady-Wohlers makes and sells tutus. She is not a seamstress nor is she a ballerina. Rather she is an ever-grateful and loving mother of two with a burning desire to give back to those who have helped her and to those who need help. Erika is a “what you see is what you get kind of person". She is smart, attractive and down to earth. She lives in the country with her husband Nick and  helps manage a successful furniture business out of their home. She has two beautiful children, Alarice  and Maeley and a big ‘ol German Shepard named Tucker. Life is good and she knows it. Still, her approach to living is humble and her ” give-back” philosophy an inspiration.

Erika's new business is called Tutu Pour Mon Deux which is French for “Tutus For My Two”.  A band of tulle and colorful ribbon is attached around the bottom of either a sleeveless or long sleeved shirt creating a one of a kind, little girl’s tutu. The tutu’s come in an array of eye-catching colors and each one has a unique image ironed onto the bodice that Erika designed herself. Among the selections are flying pigs, cupcakes, guitars, peace signs,  and a cute, fuzzy, little, blue, one-eyed monster that I think is my favorite. Prices range from $34-$38 and  outfits come in sizes ranging from 18months to 6T. Tutu Pour Mon Deux will donate $10 of each tutu sold to the Children’s Hospital Boston. The website, tutupourmondeux.com, is scheduled to launch this summer and visitors will be able to custom design their own tutus. So far, Erika has already sold twenty-five tutus just on word of mouth alone !

So how does a woman with degrees in fine arts and architecture wind up designing and selling children's apparel? To understand, one must go back to the beginning. On July 11, 2008, at 1:00pm, the Wohlers welcomed a healthy 7lbs 13oz. baby girl into the world. Her name? Maeley. Doctors at Holyoke Medical Center noticed that Maeley had a heart murmur which they thought may have been related to a PDA valve issue. PDA, aka, patent ductus arteriousus, is an abnormal opening between two major blood vessels that extend from the heart. The doctors explained that there was no need for alarm and that this problem often clears on its own once the valve closes. However, as a precaution, they decided to keep Maeley a few days for monitoring. At 4:00am , on the day that Maeley was to go home, Maeley tripped the code blue alert and was rushed by ambulance to Baystate Medical. She had stopped breathing on the way and had to have a breathing tube inserted while in transit. The situation was not good and it was uncertain whether or not the newborn would even survive. Doctors at Baystate determined that Maeley had a coarctation (constriction) of the aorta and Maeley was, again, hurried by ambulance, this time, to Children’s Hospital Boston. Life can be unpredictable, and often catch us unguarded and at our most vulnerable... "Blind-sided", Erika refers to it as. Sitting in the cardiac intensive care unit, staring upon the proverbial swinging doors of life and death, she and Nick waited for news on their daughter’s condition. It was decided that Maeley would need to be operated on to correct the narrowing of the aorta. However, doctors wanted Maeley to be in the best possible condition for the surgery, therefore they would need to wait a few days before performing the operation. Nick had left for home to comfort and explain to  their very confused 3-1/2 year old daughter, Alarice, just what was happening to her mommy and new baby sister. No sooner had he left, when doctor’s decided to perform the surgery on that day! Feeling numb, displaced, and exhausted, Erika needed to pull herself together quickly and prepare herself for what was about to take place...and that, she did. Erika took a good look around her and was very aware of the worrying families with children in far worse situations than her own. She reassured herself that she was alright, Nick and Alarice were alright, and that Maeley was going to be alright, after all they were in one of the best children's  hospitals in the world. Dr. Sitaram Emani would be the surgeon who would perform Maeley's operation. Erika describes how before the operation each and every detail of the surgery was  explained to her in ways and terms she could understand.  She knew just what was going to happen , when it was going to happen, and how they were going to do it. As Erika listened intently to what was being said, everything started to come together for her.  While the surgery was taking place, Erika waited with Maeley's nurse, Michelle, in  ICU. Michelle was able to give Erika up to date details of everything that was happening during the surgery. The surgery was a success and went without any complications. As Erika waited for Maeley to exit the O.R.,she remembers thinking how Maeley's heart was  merely the size of her fist and the artery that would be widened, only the size of her pinkie nail. She was in complete awe and amazement of the surgeon who had just performed this truly remarkable operation. The skill required to perform a surgery such as this  just "blew her away"... "How do you thank a person like this for giving you your daughter's life back", she thought...simply, saying thank you, just wasn't going to be good enough. She described Dr Emani as being very "gracious" and was stuck by his selflessness. He told her it was a "privilege to be able to do what he does". In that moment, Erika knew she needed to do more.... she just didn't know what. It wasn't long afterward that Erika got the idea for the tutu business. She and a friend were painting Erika’s kitchen, while Alarice pirouetted all day about the house in a tutu. Erika’s friend humorously asked , “…is that thing attached to her?” And so, as they say, the rest is history. One year later, on Maeley’s first birthday, the Wohlers family drove back down to the Children’s Hospital Boston full of happiness and excitement. They brought with them,  14 specially made tutus to donate to the children's ICU. Maeley was dressed in  a Tutu  with a  "Dr E Rocks" patch attached to the front. Erika, again, thanked Maeley’s team of doctors for their exceptional skills and support in what had been the most trying time of the Wohler’s lives. In return, Dr Emani told Erika that he "admired" what Erika was doing to help others and that he found the gratefulness she so openly expressed, refreshing.

Tutu Pour Mon Deux is enabling Erika to do just what she set out to do. Inspired by Maeley and Doctor Emani, Erika continues to raise awareness about congenital heart defects and disease in newborns and children through her new business. She credits the Children's Hospital Boston and their great team of doctors for saving her daughters life. She is actively giving back to those in need and instilling this concept in her two young daughters. Erika Deady-Wohlers sets an example for us all as an individual, a mother, and as a business owner. All Things New England wishes Erika the very best on her endeavor.

Written By : Jessica Layne

Let us help promote your business with a story ABOUT YOU! For more information, visit our Advertising and Promotions page. To stay up to date on our latest stories and information around New England, visit our home page at www.allthingsnewengland.com, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading!