Our Story

In April of 2020, our son, Elias, was born with a life-threatening condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). This birth defect occurs in every 1 in 2,500 babies and causes the lower abdominal organs to migrate into the chest through an opening in the diaphragm, leading to severely restricted lung development and hypoplasia.

With COVID-19 on the rise, we spent many difficult weeks in the NICU alongside Elias as he bravely fought for his life. Ultimately, Elias finished his fight, and we had to say goodbye to our precious baby boy at 21 days old. In the weeks following our heartbreaking loss, I found that working with my hands and creating was a therapeutic outlet for my grief.

I became intrigued specifically with leathercrafting, and quickly developed a passion for creating sleek, yet functional, minimalistic leather goods. Amidst so much uncertainty during thepandemic, we felt lead to start Elias Drew Leather Goods with the mission to honor our son’s memory, while supporting others who are facing a CDH diagnosis or loss. That’s why we donate 10% of all purchases to help other CDH families in need. Thank you so much for being part of the Elias Drew story, and for your support!