We all know what the bed linens look like in a hospital…..
A hospital experience can be terrifying and traumatic for both a child and their family. Ryan’s Case for Smiles helps with the stress and emotional impact of illness while children are in the hospital, especially for long durations. Their bright, whimsical pillowcases give children an emotional boost.
Ryan’s Case for Smiles (formerly ConKerr Cancer) was founded in 2007 to bring comfort and support to young patients and their families in hospitals. Ryan Kerr was the inspiration for the charity. His battle with cancer began when he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at the age of twelve. His mom brought in a bright pillow case when he was in the hospital. Nurses asked if she could make more for the other patients because they brought such joy and happiness.
Now there are 120 individual chapters across the U.S. and the Tampa Bay chapter is the second largest serving 9 hospitals and delivering over 1,200 pillow cases per month!
https://caseforsmiles.org/tampa-bay/
Over 2,000,000 pillowcases have been made and distributed since 2007.
Testimonial from a mother: … Soft blankets and fun pillowcases….things that help erase the generic feel of a hospital room….are such a huge blessing. Snuggling into a bright pillowcase instead of a sterile blue or white hospital sham…it makes a difference!!
It takes about 2-3 yards for each pillow case. During COVID, prices for fabric have increased and availability has decreased. With the onset of “digital printing” there is much less “scrap” material available. The need for reasonable priced fabric always exists.
I don’t possess the skill to sew, but for those that do…
Instructions for making a pillowcase from cutting the fabric to finishing on either a sewing machine or serger: https://youtu.be/0beMuQUahBA
Instructions for making a 3 minute pillowcase using a serger from start to finish: https://youtu.be/HfgC8aFN_Sk
Helping kids feel better to heal better……
