Charities We Support
Stitch-a-Wish Pillowcases
Stitch-a-Wish Pillowcases
Stitch-a-Wish Pillowcases
We are currently making small pillowcases for Cook's Children's.
Port-A-Cath Pillows
Stitch-a-Wish Pillowcases
Stitch-a-Wish Pillowcases
Port Pillows for Texas Oncology Keller, Grapevine, and Bedford.
Pastoral Care Quilts
Stitch-A-Wish Medical Play Dolls
Stitch-A-Wish Medical Play Dolls
The pastoral care department at Cook Children’s needs quilts for end of life children for handprints, footprints, name, and messages.
Stitch-A-Wish Medical Play Dolls
Stitch-A-Wish Medical Play Dolls
Stitch-A-Wish Medical Play Dolls
Cloth dolls are used throughout the hospital environment as teaching and expressive tools for children. These simple dolls are one of the Child Life Specialists’ strongest allies as they work to promote emotional health and well-being for sick and injured children.
Port-A-Cath Pillow
What is a port-a-cath?
A port-a-cath is a small port placed beneath the skin of a chemotherapy patient. This enables doctors and nurses easier access to the patient's veins and is also less uncomfortable on the patient.
However, wearing a seatbelt is often uncomfortable as the port is placed right along the seatbelt path. A Port-A-Cath Pillow attaches to the seatbelt to protect the port from irritation.
Who are we supporting?
We are currently supporting the Texas Oncology Centers of Keller, Grapevine, and Bedford. Sharon Crenshaw has generously offered to pick up from our meetings and deliver these pillows to the centers.
Please remember, we need pillows for both male and female patients.
Pattern Materials
- Cotton fabric (two 5 1/2” x 9” rectangles)
- Sew-in Velcro (5⁄8-inch width)
- Polyester fiberfill
Directions
- Cut two pieces of fabric into rectangles that measure 5 1/2” x 9”.
- Cut 2 pieces of Velcro that measure 4” each.
- Layer the two pieces of fabric right sides together with the velcro strips in the middle. (ensure the velcro are facing so they will attach to one another)
- Sew all the way around, leaving a 1.5” opening for turning.
- Turn the fabric right side out.
Heart Pillows
These are for the Texas Oncology Breast Center in Bedford, TX.
Directions
Using cardstock, print the two pattern pieces and tape together. Seam allowance is already included.
Cut out the heart shape.
Take one Fat Quarter and fold in half, right sides together.
Trace the shape of the heart on the wrong side of the Fat Quarter, using a pen, pencil, or marker.
Cut out the hearts and sew together, leaving an opening on one of the straight sides for turning.
Turn right side out.
Stuff firmly with Poly-fil.
Sew opening closed.
Get Pattern Here
Pastoral Care Quilt
Pattern is written below but you may also download a copy of the pattern here.
Pastoral Care Quilt Information
The pastoral care department at Cook Children’s needs quilts for end of life children that have some white solid fabric in them so that handprints, footprints, name, and messages can be stamped or written on the quilt.
Quilt Specifications
Fabric Requirements
Fabric with religious themes cannot be accepted.
(18) 10” print squares
(17) 10” white squares
Piecing Instructions
Sew squares together alternating print and white squares. Sew together 7 rows of 5 squares each.
Quilting
Simple stitch in the ditch quilting is preferred. Please do not quilt inside the white squares. They need to remain unquilted. Warm & Natural and Warm & White batting can be quilted 10” apart.
Stitch-A-Wish Medical Play Dolls
Pattern Information
This doll is made up of three parts. The doll, the gown, and the mask. You may donate a complete doll with all 3 parts or you may donate just one or two pieces and we will combine with other pieces donated.
Doll Pattern - Download PDF
Gown Pattern - Download PDF
Mask Pattern - Download PDF
What are Medical Play Dolls?
Cloth dolls are used throughout the hospital environment as teaching and expressive tools for children. These simple dolls are one of the Child Life Specialists’ strongest allies as they work to promote emotional health and well-being for sick and injured children.
The dolls are used in many ways, including:
• A tool for children as they draw facial expressions to represent visually their feeling about an upcoming procedure. Since they are blank on both sides, children can indicate ambivalent feelings by assigning different emotions to each side of the doll.
• A teaching tool upon which Specialists can demonstrate the placement of equipment needed during various procedures. Children can demonstrate their understanding as well as have some “hands-on” learning (which for children has more impact than just seeing or hearing information) by doing the procedure on the doll.
• Since many of the children who benefit from this sensory teaching are still in a “concrete” stage of development it is important that the entire body is represented as well as details—like the jointed elbow. Many procedures occur at a specific point (such as IV starts and blood draws at the elbow joint). It is important that these areas are visually and functionally represented so these children can see where the procedure will occur and can demonstrate their understanding by “doing” the procedure on the doll in the correct location. As adults, we can easily imagine that this joint is present but preschool and early school-aged children do better when they can really see and feel this area.
• As children perform procedures on their personalized dolls, they can practice coping techniques by teaching these techniques to their pretend patients. These techniques include deep breathing, distraction and guided imagery.
• The dolls are used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with brothers and sisters of the patients. They are personalized by the sibling and taken home. The sibling is encouraged to hug their doll when they are lonesome and missing the hospitalized child.
