Knitted hats help keep heads warm for cancer patients
By Bill Rea

None of the hats created by Caledon East resident Joyce Schmidt are alike. Wendy Graham, coordinator of client care with Hospice Caledon, told her she has many clients dealing with cancer treatments who are very appreciative of her creativity.

Losing one's hair because of chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer can be devastating, as well as cold.

A woman living in Caledon East is using her love of knitting to try and counteract that.

Joyce Schmidt has been knitting caps, which Caledon Community Services (CCS) and Hospice Caledon are distributing to cancer patients who need them. The patients benefit from the head covering, and it allows Schmidt to exercise her creative flair, since no two of her caps are alike.

"I like making patterns," she remarked, adding she designs each cap pretty much while it's being knitted. "I've never made two hats the same."

"I can do one a day," she said, although she added her arthritis sometimes slows down her output.

Schmidt has some strong personal motivations for trying to help people dealing with cancer. Her daughter died of the disease, and three of her four sons have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, although their conditions were spotted early.

"I've lost an awful lot of friends, very dear friends, to cancer," she added. "It's all I can do to help others, if possible."

Schmidt has created about 20 of her caps for distribution. "There'll be more," she declared.

"I hope one of these days, I will meet one of my hats on the street," she added.

Terry Wernath, a case worker with CCS, said they are trying to set up a program to teach high school students how to knit.

Schmidt has been knitting since she was a child, and she still recalls the first sweater she created.

"It was red, with a little bit of white in it," she said. "I didn't make any mistakes on it. It was gorgeous."

She also remembered taking her knitting gear to school, spending lunch hours knitting mittens for classmates who didn't have any.

She also observed the raw material for her caps, namely the wool, has been donated. "Various people have given me bags of wool," she said.

"I have so many clients who are so grateful," Wendy Graham, coordinator of client care with Hospice Caledon, told her. "You've shared that gift with so many people. That's the best part."

"As long as the head works, I'll see that the hands work," Schmidt replied.