Student’s blankets bring comfort to hospital patients
January 5, 2010
By Christopher Huber
By Christopher Huber
When Inglewood Junior High School eighth-grader Ashley Fabian was faced with what kind of project to do for her leadership class this fall, she didn’t have much trouble choosing. The goal was to serve the community and the project was for a pass/fail grade.
Fabian chose to make blankets for patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
She and her father, Richard Fabian, delivered the five completed works in mid-December to the hospital’s volunteer program office.
“I thought that it would be a nice gift thing to have them for the holidays,” Ashley said.
Due to health precautions, the Fabians were not able to deliver them personally to patients, but they were well received, said hospital staff and volunteers.
“It’s quite a comfort thing, not only for the patient, but for the (patient’s) family,” said 20-year volunteer and blanket distributor Jane Humphries. “It fills a void of the home experience that we really can’t give them that in a hospital room.”
Ashley said she had to consult her grandmother, who is an avid knitter and seamstress, and she coached her a bit on how to make the fleece blankets. She chose themes she thought younger children would appreciate: Kermit the frog, a duck, sports and monkeys.
“She put a little bit of herself in the blanket selection,” Richard Fabian said.
Each blanket took about an hour and a half to make, Ashley said. So it wasn’t an overbearing time commitment, which makes her want to continue the project in her free time here and there.
“I definitely want to do this a lot more,” she said.
Ashley had a brief but positive experience at Children’s as a patient when she was little, Richard Fabian said. And that may have played a role in her decision to contribute to Children’s.
“It always stuck with her how well they treated her,” he said. “It makes us all feel proud and happy to do that.”
Ashley said she was a bit nervous the day they took the blankets to the hospital, but knowing she was helping people made it all worth it.
“I learned that helping the community does make you feel kind of good about yourself,” she said. “I kind of want to do more stuff like that to help the community, and maybe have other people help.”
Ashley was but one of many youth and Seattle-area community members who donate blankets — handmade or purchased — to the hospital’s Warm Support program, Humphries said.
Some weeks Humphries delivers up to 200 blankets to children in the 250-bed facility.
“(Giving) does a lot for your self esteem; knowing that you’ve given of your time and of yourself for someone else,” Humphries said. “It just makes you feel good. And of course the patients are just so happy to receive the blankets.”
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.SammamishReview.com.
When Inglewood Junior High School eighth-grader Ashley Fabian was faced with what kind of project to do for her leadership class this fall, she didn’t have much trouble choosing. The goal was to serve the community and the project was for a pass/fail grade.
Fabian chose to make blankets for patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Richard, left, and Ashley Fabian stand with Lynel Westby, the hospital’s director of patient and family support services, and Dr. Ed Weinberger, radiology department chair, on delivery day. Contributed
She and her father, Richard Fabian, delivered the five completed works in mid-December to the hospital’s volunteer program office.
“I thought that it would be a nice gift thing to have them for the holidays,” Ashley said.
Due to health precautions, the Fabians were not able to deliver them personally to patients, but they were well received, said hospital staff and volunteers.
“It’s quite a comfort thing, not only for the patient, but for the (patient’s) family,” said 20-year volunteer and blanket distributor Jane Humphries. “It fills a void of the home experience that we really can’t give them that in a hospital room.”
Ashley said she had to consult her grandmother, who is an avid knitter and seamstress, and she coached her a bit on how to make the fleece blankets. She chose themes she thought younger children would appreciate: Kermit the frog, a duck, sports and monkeys.
“She put a little bit of herself in the blanket selection,” Richard Fabian said.
Each blanket took about an hour and a half to make, Ashley said. So it wasn’t an overbearing time commitment, which makes her want to continue the project in her free time here and there.
“I definitely want to do this a lot more,” she said.
Ashley had a brief but positive experience at Children’s as a patient when she was little, Richard Fabian said. And that may have played a role in her decision to contribute to Children’s.
“It always stuck with her how well they treated her,” he said. “It makes us all feel proud and happy to do that.”
Ashley said she was a bit nervous the day they took the blankets to the hospital, but knowing she was helping people made it all worth it.
“I learned that helping the community does make you feel kind of good about yourself,” she said. “I kind of want to do more stuff like that to help the community, and maybe have other people help.”
Ashley was but one of many youth and Seattle-area community members who donate blankets — handmade or purchased — to the hospital’s Warm Support program, Humphries said.
Some weeks Humphries delivers up to 200 blankets to children in the 250-bed facility.
“(Giving) does a lot for your self esteem; knowing that you’ve given of your time and of yourself for someone else,” Humphries said. “It just makes you feel good. And of course the patients are just so happy to receive the blankets.”
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.
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