Stepping into the home of mum of two, Monika Mironov, the bright colours of the living room instantly lift your mood.
And that's just what the mother and daughter's award-winning blanket made for wheelchairs and strollers aims to do.
Sofia has Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects one in every 9000 girls.
"Her diagnosis means she uses a wheelchair and she's non-verbal. She understands everything, her brain just finds it hard to send signals to the rest of her body," Mrs Mironov said.
"People describe it as being trapped in her body ... but she's just like any other nine-year-old girl."
Despite one in seven Australians using mobility aids - 28 per cent of which are wheelchair users like Sofia - the mother and daughter couldn't find a product that suited them.
"They just didn't exist," Mrs Mironov said.
"All that we could find was a poncho, something thin and in bland colours - navy blues and greys."
Monika decided to stitch together her first Mimi blanket after taking Sofia out for a walk on a frigid May day in 2019.
"When Sofia gets excited she shows it through her whole body," she said.
"The blanket would keep falling off, and even with layers and layers on, it would be really hard to keep her warm on walks."
With Sofia as her muse, Mrs Mironov began to sew blankets in the evenings after work.
Some of her first clients were the other mums of Sofia's friends from her special needs school.
As demand grew, she decided to look into overseas manufacturers. Over the next three-and-a-half years, the mother and daughter worked to design the perfect prototype which accommodated all of the missing elements she couldn't find elsewhere.
Owing to her experience as a special needs mum, Mrs Mironov continued to update her blankets; adding straps to keep it secure in the wind and away from wheels, as well as extra pockets for health devices.
To accommodate the changing seasons, and for people who struggle with moderating their body temperature, Mimi blankets come in a warm berber fleece, softer minky plush, and waterproof varieties.
However, the blanket's most iconic characteristic is its range of bright colours and designs.
"Sophia loves wearing colour and deserves to show off and feel good and proud in what she wears," Mrs Mironov said.
Last Saturday, Monika and Sofia's creativity was acknowledged at the 2024 AusMumpreneur Awards, an industry award recognising the best of women-owned businesses in Australia.
The Mironovs took home the top award for product innovation and placed second for both the people's choice business and product.
"It still feels like a dream. We very feel very honored to receive them," she said.
Mimi Blankets has made a massive impact on not only the Rett community, but anyone who uses a wheelchair, said president of the Rett Syndrome Association of Australia Claude Buda.
"Mimi Blankets are very unique and well thought-out by a special needs Rett mum Monika who is looking after her daughter Sofia to make her comfortable, stylish and sharing it with the world," he said.
Mimi Blankets come in both child and adult sizes.
