Carley ('02) and Carlos Gomez-Meade, who went on to become a pediatrician and a dermatologist, met during orientation week at the UNT Health Science Center's Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine through mutual friends. They helped each other through medical school, earning Doctor of Osteopathy degrees in 2005, then got married and moved to Florida to start their residency programs.
"We learned to work together as a team," says Carley, who earned her undergraduate degree in biology at UNT.
After becoming parents, the Gomez-Meades, who now live in Austin, say they searched for casual and affordable clothing that would protect their children from ultraviolet radiation. They found very few options. They decided to combine their two specialties and in 2013 started Little Leaves Clothing Co., specializing in sun-protective playwear for children.
They worked to find a fabric that would be gentle enough for children's sensitive skin and effective at protecting them. "We settled on a bamboo, cotton and spandex blend," says Carlos, who specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery, a process that removes layers of skin to detect cancer cells. "This fabric has an ultraviolet protection factor of 50, and is ideal for children with eczema, atopic dermatitis and other sensitive skin conditions."
Carley, a Denton native and the daughter of John Holman, Professor Emeritus of criminal justice, says she knew UNT would provide her with the education needed to prepare for a medical career. During her junior year, she learned about the seven-year combined medical school program at UNTHSC. She was accepted into the program and completed her undergraduate degree after her first year of medical school.
"UNT and UNTHSC provided me with an excellent, well-rounded medical education," says Carley, who is focusing her time on their two boys and Little Leaves.
Carlos grew up in Brownsville and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame. He says returning to Texas for medical school and meeting Carley was a special bonus.
"It was the beginning of our partnership in life and business," he says.
