Ever since her birth back in October 2011, I've been following little Maia Cavanaugh - the daughter of two people I grew up with - and her progress with her many medical complications: Down's Syndrome, heart surgery, gi tubes, etc. This adorable little girl's story is not only inspirational, but also impressive because she and her family have survived so many things in the past 15 months.
When checking email while on vacation, I was shocked to find that she had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Lukemia (AML) requiring 6 to 9 months of inpatient care! Many friends and family have stepped up to help with meals and care of Maia's older brother Noah, who is Vincent's age.
Since we fiber artists have a lot of causes that we like to contribute to (ie, The Linus Project, etc.), I wanted to ask if anyone would be interested in knitting or crocheting items for Maia and her brother, Noah. They are likely to be going back and forth to the hospital during the next several months, most of which during the winter and spring. Before starting any projects, please let me know if you are interested by responding in any of the following ways:
- here on the blog in the comments
- email: melina@midwestyarn.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/midwestyarn
A friend of their family is coordinating a lot of the physical help they will receive and I have been in touch with her. Should we get a lot of interest, items that Noah and Maia can use will be sent to them directly and the remainder will be donated to Children's Hospital in Madison on Maia's behalf, because there are plenty of children in need of something to help brighten their day during a particularly difficult time in their lives.
Potential items include:
- Hats
- Mittens
- Blankets
- Cardigans (I will check on sizes for both of them) - please, no pullovers because Maia has tubes and wires for treatment
- Yarn - maybe - for example, if you don't have time, yarn can be donated to other members of the fiber community to knit/crochet donated items
More details to follow as we get an idea of who is interested and the potential for donated items. I wish there was more I, personally, could do, but unfortunately, I am unable to donate blood or marrow due to my own autoimmune condition.
If you'd like to read more about Maia, please visit her Caring Bridge.org page at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maiacavanaugh
