I had made hats for Rosie while she was in the NICU. I have no idea what it is like to have an child fighting for his or her life. I cannot relate to the fear, the sadness, and utter desperation that Rosie's parents must have felt as they cherished every moment with their daughter. In essence, we are all pretty helpless in that situation. I did the only things I knew I could do: pray and crochet. I felt that if I could give this family just something to brighten their day, then it was better than nothing at all. I assume that most hospital hats aren't the cutest, so I was more than excited to try to make some adorable goodies for Rosie.
This alone has really inspired me to want to do more. I have asked Megan, Rosie's mom, if she was okay with me going ahead with this project as I want to make sure I am respecting their family first and foremost. Her response to my email was:
"Betsy, I started crying when I read this. I love this idea...Rose's hats were such a hit, and a spot of light for us during those horrible two weeks. What a beautiful gesture, I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me. I am completely honored. Thank you so much for the idea."
So, what is my idea? I hope to post the basic beanie pattern I used for Rosie's hats, in hopes that people will crochet up a few hats, add some flowers, a bow, etc, mail them to me, and I will donate them to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital here in Grand Rapids, MI in honor of Rosie. Ideally, I would love for this to be an on-going project that anyone can participate in whenever they are able. Also, if you would rather donate them to your own NICU, that is great too! I know there are bitty babies all over who need some hat love too. I would love for school or church crocheting clubs to take this on as a project!
I am trying to come up with a good name for this project like "Rosie's Hats," or hopefully something more exciting (I am open to ideas!). At this point this is my initial idea, and I would love to hear feedback from those who would love to join this effort with me--or even those willing to learn to crochet to donate a few hats! I am also open to ideas from anyone who has done something similar. For now, I just want to give to those families who are fighting for their babies like Rosie's family and friends fought for her. A gesture of a donated hat may seem small, but I think to those families who are hurting it goes much further than we can imagine.
In the meantime, I asked for continued prayer for the DeVries family as they mourn the loss of Rosie. Jesus is holding their little girl until they get to see her again.
So, who is in? I hope to write up my pattern in the next week or so, and post it soon.
