Crafting gifts of kindness for bubs and cancer patients
Three thoughtful, generous and kind aged care residents at Kippa Ring have turned their hands to good use by making lovingly crafted caps for premature babies and cancer patients.
Cooinda House residents Nola Dargusch, Chris Turnbull and Leone Relph are turning their hands to good use making caps for babies and cancer sufferers
The Cooinda House residents began their quest only a few short months ago but have managed to hand craft hundreds of caps for Redcliffe and Townsville Hospitals.
Cooinda House resident Nola Dargusch said for each care bundle the group aims to provide more than 50 crocheted or knitted caps for adults and children receiving chemotherapy, or for premature or newborn babies.
“The gifts are donated to maternity and cancer care wards and treatment areas at these two important hospitals,” Nola said.
“It gives us great satisfaction to be able to create things that help others. We like to see the finished product and understand where it is going and who will benefit from it.
“It is also good to have something extra to do, as it also helps us in a way to be contributing. You’re not sitting in front of the television but actually helping others.”
In a short period, they have delivered a care bundle of their individually unique crocheted and knitted creations once to The Townsville Hospital and twice to Redcliffe Hospital.
“It also provides people, especially parents, a treasured memento of their maternity experience, and a way to remember their child and their younger years,” Nola said.
“It is good to know that the caps are needed to keep the patients’ and babies’ heads warm, and we are so happy to be able to help and support parents and cancer patients.”
Donations of yarn have been given to Cooinda House and sometimes the three residents fund their own supplies.
Each chemotherapy cap takes around two to four hours to crochet or knit, while the baby beanies take about one to two hours.
Cooinda House is a 60-bed residential home which provide care for the elderly.
It also provides care for the elderly who require a secure dementia environment and/or specialised residential care for those with an intellectual disability, psychogeriatric, bariatric and/or aged care needs.