Happy Hats for Child Patients

written by Mickey Smith, N & C writer

11/21/2007




Looking at the thermometer, one might not see much of a similarity between Vermont and Florida, but the staff at Copley has found one area which is universal between the two states... children heading into surgery can be made a little more comfortable by having a little fun. And research has shown a less anxious patient can experience a smoother recovery.
To that end, Copley Hospital's Denise Marcoux, R.N., got in touch with Saundra Faulk, a registered nurse in Florida who along with another registered nurse, Rebecca Neal, was one of the organizers of the Sew Angelic Caps project. From Faulk, she was able to learn more about bringing the colorful and merrymaking scrub hats to Lamoille County. The premise behind Sew Angelic is to replace the typical uniform scrub hats with something brighter and more individualized for younger patients. In keeping with the theme, doctors and nurses who will be in the operating room with the young patients don their own fantastic scrub hats.
At Copley Hospital, the hats have been sewn by a group of locals who volunteer their time and talents to the wonderful project. The hats are delivered to patients before they head into the operating room. Youngsters can choose from a variety of patterns including flowers and butterflies, race cars, even Spongebob Squarepants. After surgery, they can keep their hats as a reminder of their stay at Copley (a lot better reminder than bringing your tonsils home in a jar).
The bright colors and fun characters help to distract the pediatric patients, and help them form a bond with their doctors and nurses.
Sew Angelic can provide hospitals with starter kits which include a sample hat, sewing directions, notions, and a "getting-started" letter detailing ways to involve the hospital and greater community.
Marcoux anticpates the hospital will give out about 150 hats during the course of the year. Currently, the volunteer tailors or seamstresses purchase the materials and donate them to the Copley project. Anyone interested in learning more about the program, or perhaps if you would like to make some hats, may call Denise Marcoux at Copley Hospital at 888-8391.

Contact Information
Jill Baker
Project Coordinator
Copley Hospital
802-888-8302
marketing@chsi.org