ConKerr Cancer

ConKerr Cancer started when Cindy Kerr’s son was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and she began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face. He loved it and so she began making pillowcases for other children on the Oncology Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

Since then the pillowcase project, A Case for Smiles, has grown in amazing ways. We have provided over 175,000 pillowcases made by thousands of volunteers from across North America and in South Africa. School groups, sewing circles, church groups and fabric stores have all pitched in and are making pillowcases for the kids. An exciting new program has been to take fabric and sewing machines to hospitals and sew with the patients and their families.

ConKerr Cancer has been able to make amazing progress towards fulfilling our goal of making hospital stays as pleasant as possible for chronically ill children and their parents. Simultaneously the pillowcase project has fostered a spirit of community and volunteer service in communities across North America. Unfortunately the number of sick children never ends, and we must continue to expand our efforts to help brighten patients’ lives and raise awareness about childhood cancer

Okay....I want to get involved.  They have a Columbus Ohio chapter that works with Nationwide Children's Hospital.  I love to sew and this way I can give back to my community.  I can give a simple gift of a smile.  When I was sick, over Christmas, a lady had donated blankets to give to chemo patients.  I got one when I was having treatment.  It was like a hug and a smile wrapped in fleece.  It was simple.  It is cherished.  I want to give back.  This group donates 100-150 pillowcases to children fighting cancer an other terminal diseases EVERY MONTH!  That's a ton of sewing.  I want to give 150 pillowcases.  I can't do it alone.  I need help.  I want to spread the word.  If you want to join me, please let me know.  You can donate fabric, your time washing fabric, a hour or two sewing some cases, some ziplock bags.  There are innumerable ways to help if you're interested.  You don't even have to be in the Columbus area.  You can mail me your finished cases, or fabric, or bags.  Those of your crafters who read this....check your stash.  We need 3/4 yard for the body of the pillowcase and 1/3 for the trim.  If your ready to sew some...here's the pattern.

Now what can you do to help?  What can you pledge today?  25 ziplock bags?  Enough fabric for 2 pillowcases? 5 finished pillowcases?  Washing a load of fabric?  Something else?

I want to finish all 150 pillowcases by the end of November....can we do it?