NBC 30

 

 

2/14/06

 

 

Michele Brodin's mission is to comfort sick children, especially those who are battling cancer.

 

"I had a dream that I had to make blankets that were very bright and very cheery and they had to stay in the oncology office at all times," she told NBC 30''s Janet Peckinpaugh.

That was 70 blankets ago.

 

"Some of them (patients) stay there all day and they really don't feel well at all and a blanket really makes you feel better,"  Brodin's 12-year-old son is her inspiration for crocheting these comforting blankets.

 

"When my oldest was five months old he had cancer and they gave him a blanket when he had his kidney taken out."

 

Brodin's best friend, Kelley Carroll, helps as often as she can with making the cuddly creations. They are appropriately labeled, crocheting hearts.

 

"We try to pick bright and cheerful colors so it's like a little ray of sunshine when they're getting their treatments," Carroll said.

 

Crocheting Hearts Offers Blankets of Comfort to Children with Cancer

By: James White, For the Journal Inquirer

04/20/2007

COVENTRY - Michele Brodin realized the positive, healing impact of a handmade quilt when her infant son was hospitalized in 1994 after a grapefruit-sized cancerous tumor was discovered in one of his kidneys.

Brodin says while her son, then five months old, was in the hospital, a nurse gave him a large quilt she had made herself, and wished him a speedy recovery.
Today, her son is 13 years old "and he still loves his blanket," she says.
"It can be 100 degrees out, and he'll still have his blanket on him," she adds.
Brodin runs a group called "Crocheting Hearts," an organization which creates and donates blankets to children with cancer.
Kelley Carroll, a volunteer who's knitted blankets with Brodin since the start of Crocheting Hearts, says it's a huge comfort for children to receive one of the group's creations.
"It's just a blessing to know that someone cared enough to make something," she says.
Each of the blankets the group distributes comes with a tag containing a short prayer for the recipient.
Brodin says she began Crocheting Hearts last June after attempting to donate some old yarn at a Goodwill store. The store refused the yarn, but told her that often local churches would accept it for charity crochet work.
Brodin then realized she could begin a program to continue the work that had been so comforting to her son.
Currently, a network of about 20 volunteers help Brodin crochet the group's blankets. She says most of the volunteers are local, but she does receive contributions from as far away as California, where one couple who discovered Crocheting Hearts through the Internet lives.
In addition to individual volunteers contributing to the group, Brodin says she also receives blankets from one family who crochets together, and from the elderly at the McSweeney Senior Center in the Willimantic section of Windham.
"We have lots of supporters," Carroll says. "Each have different strengths, everyone has something to bring to the table."
Brodin says Crocheting Hearts has donated more than 450 blankets so far, and the group has been gathering more and more momentum. In February alone, it donated more than 60 blankets. Last month, the group gave away 83 of them.
Brodin started off donating the blankets only to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, but now sends them to a number of other organizations, including the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, and Camp Sunshine in Maine.
The group holds fundraisers through mailing campaigns, word of mouth, and publicity in newsletters such as the "Coventry Monthly."
Most of the money raised goes toward purchasing yarn, on which Brodin gets a discount from the Manchester retailer, A.C. Moore. Brodin says she can knit up to two blankets a week just by herself, so the group goes through quite a bit of yarn, purchasing as much as 200 skeins, large bundles of coiled yarn, at a time.
Crocheting Hearts can use only brand new yarn, in order to avoid possibly making children sick through allergens often found in old yarn.
Brodin says perhaps the most satisfying element of her work is getting thank-you notes from the children and parents that received her blankets.
According to Brodin, one grateful child wrote to her, saying "I feel really, really good when I wrap myself up in the blanket."
Brodin says it's that kind of letter that "really gives you the push to keep doing this."
Many of the volunteers also enjoy the process of crocheting.
"I can come home from a long day at work and it's relaxing," Carroll says. "It's productive - you finish a row, look down, and can see the blanket taking shape. It's very cathartic."
In the future, Brodin says she hopes Crocheting Hearts can grow to encompass more volunteers and donate more blankets, possibly on a nationwide basis.
"We wish we could branch out," Carroll says.
Brodin says she is committed to continuing the program. "I don't think I could ever stop," she says.
Those interested in donating or volunteering for Crocheting Hearts can visit its Web site at:
www.crochetinghearts.org

 

"Crocheting Hearts" Delivers Hand-Made, Prayed-Over Blankets to Hospitalized Children

by Aimee Herd : Jun 3, 2007 : Crocheting Hearts Ministries
http://www.crochetinghearts.org/index.htm

In 1994, when Michele Brodin’s 5-month-old baby was diagnosed with cancer, a nurse gave him a blanket. After successful treatment, about 13-years-later, her healthy son still loves blankets. What began as a compassionate project has become a wonderful ministry of crocheting blankets for sick children, and an avenue of prayer on their behalf.

The following is an exclusive interview with Michele, founder of Crocheting Hearts Ministries, based in Coventry, Connecticut.

What was it that first gave you the idea to crochet blankets for children in hospitals? I had a lot of left over yarn, I actually was going to donate it to a Goodwill store in my area because I had started scrap-booking and really liked it, I really didn't think that I would use the yarn. They would not accept it but suggested to me that I could donate it to a church. Then it hit me that I was in charge of Women's Ministry at my church, River of Life Christian Fellowship in Tolland, CT, Why not start my own group since it had been such a blessing when my son had cancer at 5 months old and received a blanket. I could make some blankets with that yarn and donate them to the children's hospital that he goes to for his doctor appointments.

How did you come up with the name: Crocheting Hearts? I was thinking of a cute name, but I am not really creative like that. I was crocheting one day and the Lord started downloading things; ideas in my heart. Every stitch is a slip knot. Love knots. Hey..."Crocheting Hearts!" They are Love blankets that the Lord has blessed.

How did you begin doing it on a larger scale? As I started making the blankets I had a dream one night that I needed to make 10 blankets that were really bright and cheery in color. They were to stay at the oncology office at all times so when the kids received their treatments they would be really warm and comforted. The next day I called the child life person at the center and she asked how many were we thinking of and I told her. She said with confirmation that is exactly what I was thinking.

We started making them June 26th, 2005 by February 2006 we were on NBC 30, a local news station, and we had donated over 70. Now we are approaching 500!!

What is unique about these crocheted blankets? One day I was talking to my friend, Chris Fields, she was telling me about a teddy bear that her grand-daughter had that had a tag on it that said this bear was prayed for. That was the idea behind putting a label on every blanket that says "This blanket was prayed for especially for you by: Crocheting Hearts 109 Ireland Dr Coventry, CT 06238 in conjunction with River of Life Christian Fellowship.

I felt that the blankets needed to "soak" in God's healing and loving power for at least a week. Intercessors pray over them periodically through the week. They are also anointed as they are prayed for.

Is there a specific pattern that is followed, or can they be any pattern? The [blankets] are [crocheted with] no specific pattern, I like the volunteers to have fun making them. They do, however, need to have "no holes" or [just] small holes, so that medical equipment does not get stuck in them.

Can you share a couple of the most meaningful encounters you've had in delivering a crocheted blanket...or feedback you've received? I drove up to Worcester, MA to Sherry's House Why Me INC a few weeks ago; I brought 83 blankets with me!! There were no children there at that moment but I could feel God's Love in that house. I am going back to bring all my hairdressing supplies and do hair for the moms.

I have received 3 letters from different people. One stating that her daughter had a procedure and the hospital gave her one of our blankets and it really comforted her. Another said, "Our daughter, Laura had surgery at CCMC. She was in the hospital for a week. Her three days in the PICU were a little scary...what a beautiful surprise to find the beautiful pink and purple (her favorite colors) crocheted blanket on her bed. We read the label and were so thankful to God for the caring person who made and prayed for it. She Loves her blankey!!"

And still another says, "Thank you for all of the prayers that your ministry said for me. Please thank Miss Michele for making me the prayer blanket. I feel really, really good when I wrap myself in the blanket. It is beautiful."

Where do you turn to recruit blanket-makers....is it difficult to find people to get involved? I have been able to find volunteers by being in Coventry Monthly a local magazine, putting up tear-off advertisements. We have been on NBC 30, in the Hartford Courant and the Journal Inquirer (a few local newspapers) Also by word of mouth. When I go to my kids' basketball games or practices, or my youngest's trampoline practice, I bring my blanket of choice with me and work on it. I usually make 2 per week!

Are there other "Crocheting Hearts" groups in other locations throughout the country? Right now we are the only one, but the vision given to us is to be Nationwide and then World Wide! We have been working on our website to be able to give out our guidelines and restrictions.

How does someone go about starting a Crocheting Hearts group in their own area? It costs about $125.00 to start your own, and we will help them as much as we can with literature, etc. The most important guideline is that they send us references and also a pastor/religious leader's letter of recommendation. We need to make sure that these blankets are prayed for, that is the main ingredient, without that, they are just blankets.

What if someone doesn't crochet, but still would like to help Crocheting Hearts...how can they help? If there is someone that doesn't know how to crochet, we can train them, or they can help with fundraising. Donations are greatly in need. As we CANNOT accept old yarn, we need donations to purchase new yarn. Our volunteers get yarn from us, so we can make sure that it is new. These children are immune suppressed, and we really cannot take the chance of them getting sick from the allergens or mold in a blanket intended for healing.

I have a few "helpers" without whom, I could not do all that I do. Our Pastors, Weston Brooks, Karen Brooks, Jamie LaFond, and our church family's support is vital to our work. Everyone is behind us. But mostly our Pastors, without their Love and support, and also giving us the freedom to do what God has called us to do we couldn't have this ministry.

 

If you are interested in helping with crocheting or donations please see our donation section on this website.  Thank you.