SMALL BUSINESS BIG MISSION
My Uncle Andy is a kind and generous soul; Always has been and always will be. The type of man who would give the shirt off his back to help others – now it’s my turn to help him. My name is Sophie Wyrick, founder of Alex And Andy. Alex is Uncle Andy’s dog. Prior to Andy’s stroke, Alex and Andy were best of friends. Unfortunately, they were separated when Andy suffered his stroke. I knew how important Alex is to Uncle Andy and immediately offered to foster him, knowing I could give him as much love as did Andy. This is how the business was born, through unconditional love and connection between a human and their dog. What started as a fundraiser on TikTok for Andy that went viral, has now become a small business with a charitable purpose, to inspire other stroke survivors and to give Andy a purpose again. Throughout stroke recovery, Every Moment Matters.
Uncle Andy suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in June of 2020. His healthy and active lifestyle changed in the blink of an eye. He suffered severe complications and has apraxia and aphasia with paralysis on his right side. Andy works hard each day to continue gaining movement in his right leg and works daily on his speech therapy to form even basic words. I knew it was extremely important to give him a purpose in hopes of recovering as well as possible. Andy was a routine guy prior to the stroke, and loved his job, so I knew keeping him engaged and focused would be extremely vital to recovery. Andy helps greatly with our small business, Alex And Andy, and keeps busy to gain as much motor and fine skills back as possible. He is very much involved, hands on, and uses every order purchased as an opportunity to build upon his therapy. Relearning to write left-handed, Andy’s hand drawn images are used on our custom designed shirts. He also writes thank you cards for each order aiding in our mission to support stroke survivors and their new way of life.
Alex And Andy is more than a small business – it’s a lifeline.