little hats, big hearts update!

You guys. I'm so excited about this....to have been a part of it, to help spread awareness for it, to use my talents for it....

Remember when me and my mom/aunts knitted and crocheted hats for babies battling congenital heart disease for Mended Little Hearts of West Michigan? And how they wanted to gather one thousand hats to send to local hospitals to hand out to these patients?

Well, they received OVER ten thousand hats from forty seven states, Japan, Australia and Canada. AMAZING.

Their one thousand hats goal was to serve two hospitals in Grand Rapids. They collected enough to ship hats to all of the birthing centers in Michigan! 

For their first time around, these are amazing results, and I'm proud to be a part of it! Thank you again to GG, Aunt Sonnie and Aunt Barbie for all of your hard work on this. You ROCK! 

Be the change. Make the difference.

mended little hearts final count

We just finished up and shipped out all of our hats for Mended Little Hearts of West Michigan! Between me, my mom, my Aunt Barb and Aunt Sonnie, we made twenty five hats for babies battle heart disease in Michigan! 

We had all sort of different patterns and sizes...they are all beautiful in their own way. I am happy knowing we have made a difference in the lives of others in this small way :) 

If you would like to know more about how to help Mended Little Hearts of West Michigan, click HERE. Or, if you are interested in volunteering your knit or crochet skills, check with your local hospital with how to donate finished items. Most hospitals almost always have links on their sites with pattern and yarn requirements for their patients. 

Be the change. Make the difference.

mended little hearts

Mended Little Hearts help families who have a little one with congenital heart disease in West Michigan. They help families by providing support systems, educating the community about the disease, providing support to expecting families and advocate on issues that improve the lives of those effected by the disease.

from Mended Little Hearts Facebook Page

There are several different types of congenital heart diseases or defects, but it occurs when the heart or blood vessels around the heart do not develop normally before birth. Not every type of congenital heart disease requires surgery, some may just have to be monitored and meet with a cardiologist regularly. There are many treatments available now to help the heart perform at it's best for kids that suffer from these issues.

I cannot imagine. We have eleven nieces and nephews now, and I cannot imagine seeing any of them have to battle any form of this disease. As someone who is excited to be a mother in the future, this terrifies me. 

I have been trying to focus on the aspects of things that I can change, that I can make a difference with. So instead of feeling sad for this sweet little boy, or worrying about the 'what ifs'....I will knit. Red hat after red hat after red hat, to help those families currently battling those with this disease. It's the least I can do.

Between my mom, aunts and I, we have eleven done. If you want to help click here for more information, and get those needles going!

Be the change. Make the difference.  

little hats, big hearts

Almost a year ago, we were snowed in and bored. Cory and I decided to teach ourselves how to knit. So, during our outing to the store we picked up a ball of yarn and some needles, came home and googled it. After watching videos repeatedly Cory finally figured it out and explained it to me. Since then, he has moved on but I have spent all year making Christmas presents for practically everyone I know.

My mom taught herself crochet this year as well, and two of my aunts are knitters. It was two weeks or so before the Christmas when my aunt found an article to about the Little Hats, Big Hearts campaign, and immediately signed us all up.

Of course, I stressed. I still had another hat and a half for my nieces to go before Christmas and how could I possibly get more than that done?! Then I clicked on the link, and I felt like the biggest jerk in the world.

The campaign is asking for 1,000 red hats by mid January for Mended Little Hearts of West Michigan. They need them to help keep all the babies born with congenital heart defects warm while they are hospitalized and healing.

My nieces, thank God, are perfectly healthy, and probably don't really need another hat. These kids do.

So I pushed through the hat I was in the middle of (the drama of having only one set of DPNs), and started on a red hat. I hope to get a few done before the due date. And this effort, to help others with a new hobby I am so addicted to, shall be called "stitch and fix" from now on. You know, like fix problems while stitching? Crafty, right!? After the red hats, I want to check with hospitals here and see if they have anything similar. 

If you want to knit or crochet red hats by January 21, you can mail them to MLH West Michigan P.O. Box 215 Alto, MI 49302 or click here for more information.

Be the change. Make the difference.