Eight-year-old Brandon likes the pockets and truck designs on his clothes. His mother Alitia Bauder loves his outfits too, because they are comfortable and designed for special-needs children such as her son, who has multiple challenges.

Victoria Allen holds some of the clothing she has designed for special needs children. Debra Brash, Times Colonist

Mini-Miracles clothing is an online store started last year by View Royal resident Victoria Allen who saw a need for clothes to suit children she cares for as a pediatric special-needs nurse.

Pants with snaps on the inside of legs and hidden side zippers make changing diapers far easier, says Bauder.

Pockets cover up gastrointestinal feeding tube access and are lined with waterproof materials to prevent stains. Brandon doesn't use a G-tube but enjoys playing with the pocket, his mother said. "He thinks the pockets are really cool."

Truck designs on his sleeper are a hit too.

"He does notice the trucks. He touches them," Bauder said.

Allen's outfits are designed with features such as flat seams to decrease friction. Snaps, Velcro and stretchy fabrics are used for easy access.

Pants have roomy seats to allow for diapers, elastic waists, and are highrise so they don't slide down at the back in wheelchairs.

They are suitable for a wide range of children including those with developmental disabilities, rigidity, catheters and colostomy bags, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

Mini-Miracles sells long and short-sleeved tops, bandanas to keep clothes clean during meals, sleepers, one-piece body suits, and pants.

All the adaptations are incorporated into the clothing in a way that is not noticeable. These clothes look like any others.

Prices are similar to clothes without special features, Bauder said. For example, a girl's long-sleeved top for $32.15, pants are $40.19, a boy's short-sleeved shirt is $26.79.

"I would definitely suggest them to anybody who has any kind of needs," Bauder said.

Allen, 37, has cared for Brandon on weekends at Bauder's home for several years and calls him her "model." She provides one-on-one care for children at Victoria General Hospital and the B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver, and does respite care in her own home and a child's home. Some work is through the province's Ministry of Children and Families, other is private.

Mini-Miracles had its beginnings when Allen complained to a friend about difficulties of using regular clothing for special-needs children. Some people can work up a light sweat during what can be a challenging task of clothing delicate children.

Her friend said, 'Why don't you do something about it then?'"

Allen laughs when remembering her initial lack of know-how in sourcing materials, and designing and producing clothing. "I jumped off the diving board without looking."

A textile agent friend suggested buying good quality cotton in Peru. Allen went there last year, toured a Lima factory where workers receive fair wages, and signed up. She works with a consortium of independent businesswomen who handle the production and shipping of the garments.

Allen said Mini-Miracles clothing are made in "designs that I thought would be cute, with all adaptations on each piece of clothing." A girl's short-sleeved top, for example, is puckered at the neck with rhinestones for decorations and a rhinestone butterfly on its pocket.

The aim is to give children dignity and comfort, she said.

"A lot of people assume that special-needs children don't have that awareness. But they do. They know what makes them feel uncomfortable and unhappy."

So far, most orders have come from the U.S. "Slowly but surely it's growing."

On the Web: www.minimiracles.ca

Essential Allen

- Raised: Sooke and then moved to Victoria as a teenager.

- Post-secondary education: Camosun College, where Allen trained as a licensed practical nurse. A friend recommended working with special-needs children and she's done it ever since.

- What it means: "I'm getting so much more from these special children than I'm giving to them." It's rewarding. "I feel like I'm making a difference in these little one's lives and making it a little bit easier for their families."

Allen, who says she is spiritual, believes: "We don't get something we can't handle."

- Married: Feb. 24 to Alfredo Valencia, a chemical engineer in Peru, followed by a honeymoon in that country. He guided and drove Allen around Lima when she first went there a year ago -- an arrangement set by a matchmaking friend.

Allen expects to see him here in three to 12 months under a combined sponsorship and permanent residency application.

- Frightening travel: On Allen's way home from her first trip to Peru, the airplane made an emergency landing at Salt Lake City. "I actually kissed the snowy ground when I got off."

She reflected on what happened, decided to give romance a chance and telephoned Valencia. "There's just no guarantee about what is going to happen or how it is going to happen."

- Distance is no barrier to communication: "We have talked every single night on the phone since we met."