My Story

I learned first-hand the danger of germs in the public domain. Other than a cold, I had never been sick in my life until the Fall of 2016.

With a successful career in pharma, I was working as the CCO for a biotech start-up. The job demanded long crazy hours and I had not been at gym in months. With an upcoming week working from home, I decided to hit the gym.

After the workout I was sore, but within the week my body swelled up. My symptoms accelerated quickly and each day it got worse until soon I was unable to feed myself, shower or get dressed. I could not work on my computer and could barely use my phone. I was in pain. My friends helped me get to a host of specialty physicians and I was constantly subjected to testing from blood work to MRI’s. However, no one was able to diagnose the cause. My muscle enzymes were critically high and I was at risk of kidney failure. Yet without a diagnosis, I was left untreated — falling deeper into despair.

I was leading the commercial business efforts at my company and the void created by my absence came to a critical juncture. I was unable to work and understood that they needed to move forward. Although this left me without insurance and jobless, my priority was getting healthy again. Finally, I found a neuro-muscular physician who immediately ordered an immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusion. The week-long IV therapy worked –and kicked out the infection. Over three months after that gym work out – I was finally able to move without pain and started PT to regain muscle strength.

My physicians traced my activities during that week when I suddenly became ill and have reason to believe my gym bag was the culprit. I diligently washed my hands prior to leaving the gym, tossed my clothes in the washer and jumped in the shower as soon as I got home. However, I brought my gym bag (that had been sitting on the floor at the gym, on a bench in the locker room and on the floor at a coffee shop) into my bedroom and later that day pulled out my towel, water bottle and other items. What I didn’t realize at the time is that germs can hitch a ride in or on your bag and into your car, home or office creating a “petri dish of contamination”.

When I was ready to go back to the gym/yoga studio again, I searched for an antimicrobial bag that would protect me from germs. When I couldn’t find one that met my needs, I created my own using a healthcare-grade silver ion material. People loved the color and design of my bag and asked where I got it. When I shared the story, the overwhelming response I received: sell these bags to help others! And with that, ThePureBag was born!

I came to realize how important it is to protect yourself from germ exposure before, during and after exercise as well as for day-to-day activities and travel. I want to help others learn from my story and stay healthy while working out and going about their daily lives.