Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Oct. 16, 2024 – The Cornerstone Stitchers continue to add love into every stitch as they prepare for their annual delivery of handmade pillowcases to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
Through Ryan’s Cases for Smiles, the group donates special pillowcases to bring hope and encouragement to children who have life-threatening diseases.
Jan Magee, Arkansas coordinator of Ryan’s Cases for Smiles and member of the Cornerstone Stitchers, said on Wednesday that the ladies’ sewing group started as a sewing ministry at the Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Jonesboro, making prayer shawls for those with medical issues before branching out and doing other sewing projects as needed.
However, she said they started making the pillowcases about 10 years ago when her niece was receiving care at St Jude’s.
“I saw her cute pillowcase and investigated and found the Ryan’s Cases for Smiles website,” she recalled. “Friends and church members started joining me in the pillowcase project. Since then, our group has delivered more than 6,000 cases.”
Ryan’s Cases for Smiles has been active for about 20 years, originating in Wayne, PA., when its founder, Cindy Kerr’s, son was diagnosed with cancer. The organization has hundreds of chapters across several continents.
“Our group has about 25 ladies, although not everyone sews. Some ladies help with the various stages of getting the pillowcase made, such as cutting fabric, pinning, washing and ironing, packaging and delivery,” she said.
Although they do not have a set delivery time, they deliver the cases about three or four times a year when they have 400-500 cases ready.
Magee said she figures that their next delivery will probably be sometime in January. She added that a second sewing group from First United Methodist Church had recently made a delivery.
“We will also deliver teaching dolls and shirts for the dolls,” she said, explaining that these are small stuffed figures that doctors use when explaining a procedure to a child. The child then gets to keep the doll.
“We purchase most of our fabric from Marshall’s fabric warehouse in Batesville,” she stated. “We are fortunate to receive funds from our church, individuals, and the Kiwanis Club of Jonesboro.”
Magee also noted a wealth of information that can be found on the organization’s website, such as help for parents and siblings of children receiving medical help.
According to the Ryan’s Cases for Smiles website, it is one the few volunteer organizations solely dedicated to helping kids feel better to heal better as they work to improve the quality of life of children and their families as they undergo treatment.
Ryan’s Cases for Smiles, formerly ConKerr Cancer, was founded in 2007 to bring comfort and support to young patients and their families in hospitals around the globe.
The organization was founded in memory of Ryan Kerr, the inspiration behind ConKerr Cancer, who began his battle with osteosarcoma cancer at the age of twelve. Kerr fought through five cancer recurrences, 30 months of chemotherapy, 15 surgeries, the amputation of his right leg and over 150 days of physical therapy, however his sickness never slowed him down.
“Ryan constantly challenged himself with new things – skiing, biking, skateboarding, rock climbing, scuba diving, cycling – mastering each new skill with courage, grace and aggressiveness. His friends and family were always amazed with his energetic attitude through the exhaustion and pain,” the Ryan’s Cases for Smiles website stated.
With more than 100 chapters comprised of thousands of volunteers, more than 2,700,000 pillowcases delivered through the organization, which helps over 75,000 children annually at over 362 participating hospitals.
For more information, visit the Ryan’s Case for Smiles website at casesforsmiles.org. For more information on the Cornerstone Stitchers or how to donate to their case, contact Magee at janmagee67@gmail.com