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Virtually everyone has a loved one who is suffering or has suffered from cancer. Most try to do anything in their power to care for their family member, significant other or friend who is fighting the disease.
For friends Abbey Seal, Addie Boudreaux, Alexus Lagarde, Brenna Landry, Darci Martin, Ella Luminais, Emma Lodrigue, Isabella Dauzat and Olivia Richard, ages 10-12, cancer hit close to home, so they decided to create an organization to help those currently struggling from the illness — the nonprofit Covers of Kindness.
“A lot of people in our group have experienced people in our families with cancer, and we wanted to give back and be nice to the community,” Boudreaux said.
The girls from Raceland make handmade blankets for chemo patients to take with them to their treatments. Each blanket also comes with a handwritten card with prayers and is blessed by a local priest.
“Our group Covers of Kindness is special to me because a few of my family members have gone through cancer treatments in the past and would have loved to receive a blanket made by young girls like us who are showing that we care,” Lodrigue said. “Hopefully our blankets and the prayer cards give all of those cancer patients who receive one some comfort and hope.”
“I really enjoy Covers of Kindness. I love making blankets for cancer patients. The blankets keep them warm through chemo,” Dauzat added. “It feels great to make others happy.”
Once a member starts working with a no-sew fleece blanket kit, it takes her about an hour to complete a blanket by herself. Although the organization started this past November, the group was able to make over 80 blankets before Christmas, thanks to donations from people in the community and JOANN Fabric and Craft store in Houma.
During the holidays, the girls delivered blankets to the Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center, the Ronald McDonald House in New Orleans and the Thibodaux Regional Cancer Center; they were able to personally hand out the blankets to patients waiting in the lobby at the latter.
Richard said visiting the patients was hard for the group, seeing how ill some of them were, but it was worth it because the blankets made them happy.
“I like making people happy and making them feel better,” Landry said. “You know you’re doing it for a good reason,” Lagarde added.
Even though the girls are relatively young, the group is organized — having a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer and having meetings twice a month.
The girls’ goal is to make enough blankets to donate to St. Jude in New Orleans.
They are planning on expanding their organization, too.
For anyone wanting to donate, the organization accepts blanket kits and money. More details on how to get involved can be found on the group’s Facebook page.
“It may be just a blanket but giving it to them means so much more. I feel it covers them with warmth and makes them feel good,” Martin said. “I want them to be happy and feel better so they can get well.”
