Over the past 20 years (and still going), I have spent many hours sitting in waiting rooms, clinics, testing labs, x-ray labs, etc., while my husband battles cancer. It’s hard to look around in these places and realize that everyone in here has some type of cancer; why am I healthy? There have been so many ups and downs over the years, that I have lost count. As my husband’s main caregiver and cheerleader, sometimes I’ve felt so inadequate to cheer him or anyone else up. Cancer can take so much from it’s victims; their hair, their bodies, their minds. . and it affects everyone: family, friends, not just the patient. I have wondered so many times “There must be something I can do, but I’m only one person.”
Four years ago, I had an idea. . . I wasn’t sure about it, but decided I would just do it. I wanted the cancer patients to know that Cancer should not be able to take away your HOPE and certainly not your Sweet Dreams. I have enjoyed sewing pillow cases for my family and friends over the years, and decided to just start sewing! Sewing one- of-a kind, bright colored pillow cases. And, when I reached 25 pillow cases, I bought a nice basket to display them in and ordered protective clear packages (to minimize germ spreading), since I was taking them into the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I made a sign that says “A GIFT FOR YOU” Please take one: Handmade, One-of-a-Kind Regular Size Pillow Case & “May you always be blessed with HOPE and SWEET DREAMS!”
I took them into the Huntsman Wellness Center and the staff loved them. They put them out for the patients.
Two days later, my husband had an appointment, and we went in and I didn’t see my basket. . . I thought the patients didn’t like them and they had probably put them away in the back. But, then I was told, the patients loved them and they were all gone by the end of that first day. I was thrilled, never thinking they would go so quickly. I came home and sewed and sewed and each week have been able to take more in. 10, then 12, then 15. . .but I soon realized that in order to make this a sustainable venture, I would need to do something else.
And so, I decided to launch a new non-profit organization, that will help and support our cancer patients with new brightly colored pillow cases on which to rest their beautiful heads and keep them dreaming sweet dreams!
Over the past four years, I have been told that many patients have come in and selected a pillow case and are thrilled that someone else was thinking about them too. I am filled with joy, that these simple pillow cases can bring a moment of happiness to these brave cancer patients.
I also expanded my donations to the Oncology Ward of Primary Children’s Hospital. They serve approximately 200 families a year! Towards the end of last year, I realized that in order to really provide pillow cases to all that would like them, I needed to get some help. A very sweet friend told me she knew of quite a few people who might want to sew for me. We got such a positive response, we had to develop a distribution system to transport the pinned, ready-to-sew cases. After holding a couple of sewing classes, we were ready to try it out (having other people helping me sew was a really great idea, but I could not afford to pay them and they still wanted to help)!
To date, we have donated over 1,000 cases and are still going strong. A big THANK YOU to Leeaine Burnett, Agnes Roberts-Michon, Sue Moore, Ann Mayberry and all the many ladies who have sewn for Hope & Sweet Dreams, Inc.
Because of this help, we were also able to send 25 pillowcases to a Childrens Cancer Ward in Peru! Thank you to Marcela Cubas for helping to arrange for this trip and delivering them on our behalf. Spreading a little kindness that will hopefully ripple around the world!
-Pam Ford, March 2020