Project Linus
When my daughter was born two months premature, the NICU nurses kept both of us afloat. They sat and talked to me for twelve or thirteen hours a day and they cared for Emma above and beyond their obligations, creating little signs for her isolette, loving on her like she was theirs, reminding her that she needed to get it together soon because the kindergarten bus wouldn’t stop there to pick her up. One of the sweetest moments of her three week hospital stay was when the nurses gave Emma blankets from Project Linus. They not only covered her tiny little head with hats that had been knitted by Project Linus volunteers, but they also wrapped her in a variety of blankets that came home with her. Her favorite is a purple fleece no-sew that she still sleeps with every night eight years later.
Last weekend we headed out to Joann Fabrics to purchase fleece to make the same kinds of blankets to donate to Project Linus. The requirements for donated blankets are simple, so my daughter and I will be making several crib size no-sew blankets like the one she loves so much. Project Linus collects handmade blankets and caps for sick infants and children through local chapters of the organization. It is very easy to donate either blankets or funds to help cover the costs associated with the program. The organization was founded in 1995 by Karen Loucks who read an article in Parade Magazine about a child suffering from cancer and the important role her security blanket made in her battle. Karen began provided homemade security blankets for her local children’s cancer center, and Project Linus grew out of her efforts.
During this 30 Days of Giving, I hope that you will consider donating your talents to this organization because I have felt firsthand the difference these donations make in the life of a child.
When my daughter had her accident in January of this year she spent several days in the Neuro-Science Trauma Unit. We were lucky enough to get a room at the family center near the hospital so we could stay close to her while she was there. Her boys came to spend one night with me at the family center. After seeing their Mama for a few minutes I took them to the center for the evening. It was a very emotional time and stressful for all of us. The boys were five, two, and one at the time. The two older boys had tons of questions and they couldn’t understand why mama looked the way she looked, why she didn’t respond to them, and why she was in the hospital. It was new to them and scary. The staff at the center presented all three boys with special blankets that had been donated by Project Linus. To this day the boys still carry their blankets with them and they will always remember getting them when Mama was hurt. It’s amazing how something so simple turned out to have such a huge impact on three precious little boys. I salute you for what you are doing. God Bless you 🙂
Keep up the great work! I donate similarly to an organization close to my heart, CDHSupport.org.
That is awesome, we still have Serendipity’s too. She was born with a severe birth defect and not long after her first major surgery she got sick and was re-admitted. They couldn’t get an IV started and to take her to have it placed, when she came back she had the blanket with her, she still has it. Such a special keepsake.
This is a great charity that I was previously unaware of. Thank you for sharing. Making blankets will be a great family activity for a good cause.
Thank you for sharing this Amy. I am looking forward to making some blankets with the boys. They can help make some with fleece and I will be knitting. When my little guy was in the hospital for a few day at nine months old, he fell in love with a crochet blanket that was given to him. I do believe it came from Project Linus.