By Blake Hollingsworth | Reporter
Houston junior Isla Ritchie has transformed a deeply personal health journey into a business dedicated to helping others. According to Brain & Life’s feature on Ritchie, she was diagnosed with epilepsy, mitochondrial disease and dysautonomia at 11 years old.
“When I was a kid, I did triathlons and played soccer — I was very athletic,” Ritchie said. “And then suddenly, when I turned 11, I woke up to my arms shaking for no apparent reason.”
Her conditions resulted in frequent seizures, often requiring emergency trips to the hospital. Facing the challenge of unpredictable medical episodes, Ritchie and her mother developed what would become the Go Bag — a thoughtfully curated kit designed to make hospital visits more manageable.
“Throughout this whole journey, I had to go to the ER so many times,” Ritchie said. “And you’re not prepared to go there, so you always miss something. So my mom started creating her own bag.”
Ritchie’s journey from patient to entrepreneur began from necessity. Her mother originally developed an emergency preparedness bag for her daughter throughout years of having to navigate hospital stays, according to Ritchie. These bags included essential hospital stay items such as a phone charger, a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and wipes.
Ritchie’s mother eventually started distributing these bags to friends and caregivers, offering comfort and readiness during trying times. Encouraged by the positive feedback, the mother-daughter duo transformed their solution into a business venture during Ritchie’s freshman year at Baylor.
“She would make them herself and give them [to others in need] because she knew how tough it was,” Ritchie said. “And then they started saying, ‘Well, why not create a business?’”
In Feb. 2020, Go Bag was officially launched with the mission of ensuring that families facing medical emergencies have what they need.
“I hope that all these families will be prepared, that they will be less stressed and that they know that they have support during unexpected circumstances,” Ritchie said.
Each Go Bag is sold for $22 and includes a carefully selected assortment of items meant to alleviate stress during hospital visits.
Shaun Limbers, clinical assistant professor for the Hankamer School of Business, teaches and mentors Ritchie. Limbers explained how Ritchie’s personal experience resonates with families struggling with similar situations.
“From a human standpoint, it’s a very personal, story-driven product,” Limbers said. “The reason for starting it was not just to sell something for monetary gain. It’s actually something that can help people when they need it the most.”
Ritchie said her entrepreneurial journey has been nurtured at Baylor. With the support of Limbers and his Oso Launch program, her business expertise has grown alongside her academic pursuits. Limbers has guided her product to success, and he said he has witnessed her evolve as both a student and business owner.
“Oso Launch is a program that we have here at Baylor for student entrepreneurs, and she’s been in that since day one,” Limbers said. “It’s been really neat to see her concept grow and to see her grow as a business person and as a student. I’m extremely proud of her.”
