Live Love Laugh Adventure: Heart Pillow Project

Before I tell you about the heart pillow project I do want to address the tragic plane crash near where I grew up. For those not familiar with Buffalo or who have visited me there, the crash was about 8 miles from where I lived. When I turned on my computer this morning and saw the news, my heart felt similar to when I was there on 9/11. I can just hear people talking about how they, their families and/or friends knew someone killed or a family member of someone killed. Then I just got a news alert from San Diego that the pilot catching a ride to Buffalo to visit his grandma is from San Diego. It's a very small world, not to mention the widow of a victim of 9/11, who is from the town I lived in, being one of the "only" 49 people on that plane. I thank God that it was not worse because it could have been in that particular area and for the wonderful, strong Buffalo community who will weather this with flying colors as they have done everything else that's come their way...mostly in the form of weather. Thoughts and prayers are with my Buffalo friends. On to the Heart Pillow Project...

At the first AWC meeting I attended, I met Celeste Brown. She introduced herself and when she heard I was here for a Dutch man, she attached right to me. Her "story" is a quite similar to mine. She was a single career woman who had never met a man she wanted to be with till she was 44 and met Jaap, still don't know the details of how that happened. Like me, she gave up her career, sold her house, and moved here when she was 45. She has been here 10 years, so definitely a good resource for me. She is president of the Federation of American Women's Clubs, the organization uniting AWC's around the world. The meeting started and soon Celeste was called up to talk about the Heart Pillow Project. Turns out Celeste had just recovered from having surgery and the treatment for breast cancer. Thankfully, her cancer was at a very early stage, involved no lymph nodes, and not invasive. She basically had a large lumpectomy.

Shortly after surgery, Celeste received a heart pillow from the American Women's Club of Denmark. It is a special heart with a deep "V" to fit under the breast. It's also very helpful in relieving pressure and pain from a shoulder belt in the car. Celeste wanted to know if our group would be interested in making pillows for the women in Leiden, where she lives near and has her doctor, and Den Haag. A group of us were very interested. People donated extra material they had, we scrounged for fiber fill-- not widely available here and when it is very expensive, but members brought some back from trips to the US and we found the stuffing from the large square pillows you can buy at the market 2/5 Euros works well--met on 3 Tuesday afternoons to cut, pin for sewing--which people with sewing machines took home to do, turn, stuff, and stitch the opening, cut out a heart shaped information card to go with them, package them in bags, and tie ribbons on the bags. We made a total of 105 and stashed them in a closet. None of us were familiar with them, though the website says they began in the US.

Today was the first delivery day where Leslie, Anu--an Indian allowed in as an associate member who volunteers more than most, and I met Celeste at Leiden University Medical Center where we had a meeting with Celeste's doctor, Gemma. Gemma is a lovely, kind Dutch woman who was amazed that we would make these for her patients.

Arjan was also surprised we would do something like this but I reminded him...that's what American's do. This is just another reason I wanted to become involved in this club, they do projects and fund raisers to give back to this community and country.

If you'd like to know more about the Heart Pillow Project or make one for someone you know, you can find info and the pattern at http://www.heartpillow.dk/. Besides the physical comfort it brings, it also brings emotional comfort that someone cares.