Flavorman Helps a Disabled 12-Year-Old Develop a Hydration Drink
A 12-year-old born with birth defects that affected his eyes has developed a hydration drink he hopes to commercialize so one day he can give back to Easterseals, which helped him achieve some independence in grade school.
Flavorman (www.flavorman.com), a Louisville, Ky., custom beverage development company, since 2023 has been working with Joey DiRocco of Dunstable, Mass., and his parents, Justin and Francesca Navarro, to create recipes for Sparklytes, a line of flavored hydration beverages that prioritizes all-natural ingredients and sweeteners.
Born with cortical visual impairment, congenital nystagmus and septo-optic dysplasia, Joey has difficulty seeing without his glasses. Easterseals Massachusetts helped him in third grade by providing assistive technology, including an iPad, text-to-speech software and a scope to enhance his independence in reading and writing. Their support fueled his ambition to create Sparklytes.
The formula includes coconut juice, lemon juice, monk fruit and other carefully selected components. Sparklytes one day will be available in six flavors: peach mango, lemon-lime, blue raspberry, blueberry lemonade, cherry and orange.
Justin and Francesca Navarro plan to scale up the Sparklytes recipes from Flavorman to commercial levels. With backgrounds in technology, they own Sparkworx, a business consultation company that will serve as the parent company of Sparklytes.
“Joey and the Sparklytes team finalized the commercial-grade formulas of their hydration drinks after several months of working with Flavorman's Research & Development team,” said the product development company. “This finalization means that Joey now owns the formula, and his team's current focus is scaling up, raising funds and establishing a copacker relationship for their first production run.”
Joey and his parents envision a venture that will allow him to give back to Easterseals Massachusetts, a nonprofit providing essential services for adults and children with disabilities. Sparklytes’ brand mission is to encourage consumers to spread kindness, raise disability awareness and promote a healthy lifestyle.
“We want Joey to be successful and eventually take over the family business,” say the Navarros. “As parents, this is our way of giving back to him. We’re so proud of him.”
Flavorman says the project was driven by Joey’s passion for sports and his philanthropic spirit. “I asked my parents how to create my own sports drink, and they told me to Google it, so I did,” said DiRocco. “I wanted to help raise money for a nonprofit that supported me when I was in third grade, and now I’ll be able to do that through Sparklytes.”
To view a video of Joey DiRocco’s journey, click here.
Photo at top is Joey and his parents in the Flavorman lab.