MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 13, 2012
Chatham woman helps brighten hospital stays for kids at LHSC
LONDON, Ontario – When Wilma Noordam’s brother passed away from cancer in February, she knew she needed to do something to help others and to recognize her brother’s legacy. Flipping through a craft magazine one day, she spotted an article about a woman in the US who had started a charitable organization focused on making colourful pillowcases for children living with cancer. The woman in the article had a son who was battling leukemia and had noticed that not only was his hospital room very institutional looking, but that his pale skin blended into his basic white pillowcase, making it difficult to see where the pillow ended and her son began. She began crafting brightly coloured pillow covers to add some colour to her son’s room, and soon realized that all of the children in her son’s ward could benefit from the same pick-me-up.
Noordam, upon reading this, knew that her sewing skills could be put to good use to help brighten children’s spirits and quickly got to work on her new project. A visit to her local fabric store resulted in yards of fun, uplifting prints guaranteed to bring a smile to little faces. Soon enough, Noordam had 22 pillowcases completed and ready to deliver to the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre.
Following her first drop off at the hospital, Noordam was excited to return home to Chatham to begin work on more cases. A call to her local newspaper to advise them of her efforts resulted in an article which generated great interest in the community, and the recruitment of six more volunteers making pillowcases in their own homes. Before she knew it, Noordam had 55 pillowcases ready for delivery to the hospital, with more still being made.
On her second visit in May, Noordam was happy to have the opportunity to meet one of the children who would be receiving a pillowcase, Melissa. She offered the young girl her choice from an array of designs, and saw a sparkle in Melissa’s eye as she chose one covered in ice cream cones. “Maybe if I sleep on this pillowcase, I’ll feel like I’m having ice cream again.”
If she had any doubt before, Noordam was now convinced that her project was making a difference in the lives of the children who received her generous donation. “When I saw that young girl smile from ear to ear, knowing how unwell she was feeling, it was the greatest feeling in the world. I know now that this is a project I will continue for a long time to come.”
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 137 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph’s Health Care London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Kathy Leblanc
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 74772
kathy.leblanc@lhsc.on.ca
After-hours assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call
