Head Huggers returned to the Harbor Room at the Cambridge Medical Center in October 2013 to donate 77 hats and scarves. (Learn more about the Harbor Room here and here.)

Many of the items were purple, in honor of Cheryl Slater, a lifetime Isanti County resident who died one year ago after battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Slater’s favorite color was purple.

Team Yarn made its first donation to the Harbor Room in January 2013. According to Team Yarn co-founder Amy (Slater) Pass, she wanted to give back to the Harbor Room since it helped her mother, Cheryl, when she was going through cancer. Pass credits the Harbor Room for inspiring her to begin Team Yarn.

“The people that come in to the Harbor Room are kind of in despair and going through a rough time. When they get a fun hat, it totally changes their day,” said Bonnie Gutzkow-Bowman of the Harbor Room. “Thank you, Team Yarn, for making all these beautiful hats. It means a lot."

The Cambridge Volleyball Team is selling these lovely shirts to raise money for the Harbor Room.

This bike from the Outdoor Edge is being raffled off for the second time. Dr. Patton won it earlier this fall, but then turned around and donated it back to raise even more $ for the Harbor Room.

This basket of goodies goes around to people in for treatments to provide them with something fun to do.

715.

That's the number of hats we have made in 10 short months. Wow.

This month, we had only about 5 hats prior to the October meet-up, and we were starting to panic. We shouldn't have. All you lovely ladies showed up with over 80 hats.

Susie learned how to crochet in just August, and arrived with 16 beautiful items. She's a pro already. That's been such a fun part of Team Yarn for me... Watching the skill of folks go from nada to amazing.

We value each and every one of the 40+ folks who have donated to Team Yarn in the past 10 months.

This month, items will be heading to the Harbor Room in Cambridge, a place we donated to first back in January.

Time has just been flying by. I suddenly realized I never posted photos from our September meet-up at Silverwood. While we had hoped to sit outside on the patio near the fireplace, a sudden drop in temperatures meant we were inside by the fireplace instead. (But hey! There was a fireplace in both areas!)

This month, 21 hats were dropped by at the meeting. We combined those with the items from August and donated 103 items to Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury. See post here. 

You all amaze and astound us. THANK YOU!!

On Sept. 10, 2013, as Woodwinds Tour Coordinator Julianne Degenhardt looked through the hats and shawls Team Yarn donated, she said, “Folks are just going to love them.”

“These are just unbelieveable,” said Bridget Holmen, nurse navigator. She turned to Team Yarn Co-Founder Amy Pass and said, “Thank you for sharing your mom’s memory with us.”

“I know what it’s like to be in the shoes of someone giving care,” Amy responded. Because of that, she believes it is very important to give shawls, lap blankets and other items not just to the cancer patients, but also their family members and caregivers.

That’s exactly what happens at Woodwinds, and they go through prayer shawls in particular very quickly. All of their prayer shawls are blessed before they are distributed. “They are very much appreciated,” observed Julianne.

“People get very attached to them,” remarked Bridget. “Things go out the door as fast as we get them.” In particular, folks like darker colors.

“We appreciate everything you’ve done,” said Julianne.

“We have a very small staff here. Because we are so small, our patients really get to know us,” observed Bridget. That also enables nurses to have a pulse on who might really need a hat or a shawl. “Shawls and hats all help a patient on this journey,” Bridget said. “This gift you’ve given us is beautiful.”

My mom was just astonished when she was brought into the Harbor Room and told she could pick out hats, Amy recalled. “I remember her telling me about it.”

ABOUT WOODWINDS
This is the third year Woodwinds has received 3rd place on the list of Top 100 Hospitals in the United States.

Due to the high demand, the hospital plans to double its cancer unit in a few years and begin offering radiation services. “People love coming here,” observed Woodwinds Volunteer Coordinator Ivonne Norberg.

“There are lots of healing art therapies that are available at Woodwinds,” noted Julianne, including acupuncture, healing touch and essential oils.

“I was so fascinated by what I saw online,” Amy told Woodwinds representatives.

At Woodwinds, they recognize the value of music for the sick. A harpist plays soothing music in the infusion area some days. There’s a pianist in the main area of the hospital other days and students on violin. Those who want to perform at Woodwinds audition first, which points to their talent.

They also recognize the power of pets, and people are able to bring their pets with them during the day.

In the ward where patients receive their chemotherapy, there are no televisions and few disturbances. It is a peaceful area, a place with large windows, scenic views of the 30 acres around Woodwinds, and strategically placed bird feeders installed by Boy Scouts. Research has shown how beneficial it is to those who are sick to be surrounded by views of nature.

At Woodwinds, there is a large gazebo in the  healing garden, which is near the pathways that wind through the area. A labyrinth of a tree with two trunks helps calm those who walk through it.

Woodwinds Health Campus is a member of the HealthEast Care System, and is affiliated with St. John’s in Maplewood, a place we donated to earlier this year. See blog post here.

Learn more at http://www.healtheast.org/woodwinds.html

Woodwinds is located at 1925 Woodwinds Dr, Woodbury, MN 55125.

There are a few benefits coming up (or happening now) that Team Yarn is connected to.

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR FIGHTING NEW BATTLE

The sister of Team Yarn member Stephanie Griffith has been fighting quite the battle in California. In May 2013, Stephanie wrote this:

"A month ago everything seemed to be going right for Kenzie Alexander. She was a vibrant young mother, fiancée and business owner who had finally beaten the two bouts of aggressive breast cancer that had taken so much from her in the three years since her first diagnoses. She went to the emergency room with leg pain and numbness expecting, like most of us, to spend a few hours in the waiting room and come home with a prescription.

"Instead, by the time she went to bed that night, she had lost complete use of her legs. Over the course of the next week, she also lost use of her arms. A month later she is still in the hospital recovering from this attack of Transverse Myelitis.

"Now, her entire life has changed.

"The doctors are telling us that with a lot of time and hard work she may one day regain the use of her arms, but her leg function is most likely gone for good. As you can imagine, the effects of this are very far reaching. She and her family need our help.

"The costs they are incurring from this challenge are staggering. They will need to relocate to a more disability friendly home, they need to buy a van that has been fitted for a wheelchair and they need to pay for her everyday care when she comes home. We are asking you to be her hero. No amount is too small or too large. Whatever you can give will make a difference."

Click here to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/32bcm8

AMY'S COUSIN

Deanna and Sapphire have both been treated at the Mayo this summer for the genetic blood disease they share.

Team Yarn is setting aside a few hats for the Spaghetti Feed Benefit for Deanna and James Angstman. Click here to view Facebook Album.

Deanna Angstman, Amy's cousin, planned a benefit for her brother Danny that Amy and I and our families attended in Webster, S.D. in June 2013. (Click here to view Facebook album.) We brought some Team Yarn hats then for the silent auction. Danny was diagnosed with leukemia last fall, and his daughter Sapphire got a bone marrow transplant this summer.

Well, Deanna also opted for a transplant this summer in order to address the issue before it turns into leukemia.

As you can imagine, it's been a tough journey, and she could use your support!

Deanna was diagnosed with MDS (pre- leukemia) in March 2013. She started chemo on July 15th, 2013 and had a bone marrow transplant July 24th. 

Deanna & James relocated to Rochester, MN on July 7th, since Deanna would have to stay there for the next several months to do her treatments and hospital stays at Mayo. 

The Saturday, Sept. 28 fundraiser will include a silent auction, as well as live auction, basket raffle, door prizes, pie auction AND spaghetti feed. It will be held at the Masonic Hall in Mora, MN. Everyone is welcome so please spread the word. If you would like info. Or to make donation of any kind feel free to contact Deb Anderson (Deanna's Mom) 1 320 679 4522 or Donna Anderson (sister) 1 320 438 0417.

MY COUSIN'S DAUGHTER

Meet Madi.

There will be a pancake breakfast fundraiser for my cousin Jami eMevissen's 4-year-old daughter, Madisyn , the same day, Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9:30 to noon at Northern Light Church, 6701 Highway 10, Ramsey.

Madi was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is a group of inherited diseases that cause muscle damage and weakness, which get worse over time and eventually lead to death.
Spinal muscular atrophy manifests in various degrees of severity which all have in common general muscle wasting and mobility impairment.

All proceeds from this benefit will go towards a home addition and handicap accessible bathroom. The breakfast is $5 a person and that will include 2 pancakes and a beverage. There will also be a silent auction and bake sale. Madisyn has to play her favorite game which is the cake walk. 

We will be donating a few Team Yarn hats for this silent auction, as well.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THESE BENEFITS THAT ARE CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS!