Of Christy Loughry’s four sons, two had several medical issues with their ears when they were younger. That meant multiple trips to Advocate Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn over the years.
“Our two youngest boys had a lot of surgeries and procedures,” explained Christy. “When were at the hospital, the Child Life Services team would give them brand new toys or a cozy blanket, which helped make their time there more tolerable. It was so wonderful; I was blown away. It really made all the difference, and I was so grateful.”
Today, Christy’s sons are thriving, and she’s grateful for all the care they received at Advocate Children’s.
“They’re doing amazing. Dr. Jonathan Sherman? saved my youngest child’s hearing. We’re so thankful, and they still have the toy trucks they got at the hospital. In fact, they call them their surgery trucks.”
Last spring, Christy was at her son’s baseball game when she started talking with another mom, Kim O’Connor, who happened to be the development manager at Advocate Christ Medical Center. Advocate Children’s is located on the same campus.
“We were chatting, and she told me she worked for Advocate Charitable Foundation,” she said. “I already knew I wanted to give back because of how our lives were impacted by donors to the foundation, but I just wasn’t sure how.”
In talking with Kim, Christy ultimately decided to put her own talent to use.
“I learned how to knit about 15 years ago, so I talked to my knitting group and explained that I wanted to make blankets for the hospital. They were so supportive and wanted to help.”
Christy learned that a national nonprofit organization, Project Linus, donated handmade blankets to pediatric patients, including those at Advocate Children’s Hospital. But there wasn’t a similar organization providing blankets to adult patients.
“What if I could do what Project Linus does, only for adults? So, I contacted the CEO of Project Linus and told her my idea,” shared Christy. “She gave me some advice to help get me started, and it took off from there.”
Christy and her knitting group started making blankets to donate to adult cancer patients, specifically those receiving chemotherapy treatment at the infusion center.
“I was a nurse for many years, and I loved working with adults. If toys and blankets made a difference for kids, I thought adults would be equally grateful – especially if they’re in and out of the hospital so often for treatment.”
Spreading the word
Christy started reaching out to people and organizations in the community to recruit others to donate blankets and funds for materials.
“I talked to local church groups, Girl Scout troops and anyone I could think of to tell them what we were doing, and it took off from there. My 11-year-old son learned to knit and he’s helping too,” Christy explained. “Now our group, Knitting It Together, is on the path to becoming a nonprofit organization.”
In just two months, Knitting It Together has donated 100 blankets to local hospitals, including Advocate Christ, Advocate Trinity Hospital and Advocate South Suburban Hospital.
“I want all new cancer patients to get a blanket to keep them warm during treatment. It’s a way of providing something tangible that lets them know someone is thinking of them. We also include a note of encouragement with each blanket.”
Christy wants to expand Knitting It Together to help even more people.
“My goal is huge. I want to do for adults what Project Linus does for kids and have chapters everywhere so we can meet the needs of hospitals across the country,” she said. “Cancer affects so many people; there’s a huge need.”
How you can help
Advocate Health is a nonprofit health care system that relies on generous donors like Christy to provide extra services and programs to our patients, their families, our teammates and the community. You can make a difference by donating today.
“Making and donating blankets feels like a way to pay it forward. I’m able to close the loop of being on the receiving end of generosity and being able to give back,” shared Christy.
“Patients undergoing cancer treatment have a lot to deal with,” added Ambra Taylor, manager for the infusion centers and outpatient oncology. “It makes my team feel like they are providing patients with additional comfort during this difficult time in their lives. Being able to provide a handmade blanket lets our patients know people in their community are thinking about them and that they are cared for in a larger way. We are infinitely grateful to Knitting It Together for their support of our patients.”
To learn more about Knitting It Together and how you can get involved, visit its website or Facebook page.