Inside Cypress Cove Living Center in Fort Myers, crowded tables are filled with sewing needles, vibrant fabrics and laughter. However, this isn't your average sewing group.
"It's been a wonderful, wonderful project," Sandi Faulk said.
Faulk came up with the idea to sew patterned surgical caps for sick kids when she was a nurse in the operating room 25 years ago.
"It was a 6-year-old girl who was having surgery. Heads have to be covered in the operating room because it's a sterile room. And she didn't want to wear the blue paper bonnet," Faulk said.
Thus, Sewing Angelic was born. Today, the group has sewn 50,000 caps for Lee Health. The group sews caps of all colors, patterns and sizes so children have something to pick out before entering surgery. Faulk says that small choice makes a bigger impact than you may expect. It distracts kids and comforts their parents. Faulk recalled one of her most memorable patients.
"Mom started to cry, and I said, 'Are you OK?' She said, 'This is a sign from God. I know my child's going to be alright.' This is all over a hat," Faulk said.
Today, Sewing Angelic's impacts are felt all over the world. Faulk, along with co-founder Rebecca Neal, present their program at conventions for other hospitals to pick up.
"There are still quite a few hospitals in the United States that are doing this project. I don't know if they are giving away quite as many as we do," Neal said.
The program is impacting the sewers as well, especially at Cypress Grove Living Center.
"We have a good time, and we feel good doing it. We really feel that we're helping in some way," 94-year-old Audrey Blomquist said. “When you move here to a place like this, it's very much like being a child, moving into a new school for the first time. 'Will I like it here? Will anybody like me?' And this is a positive thing."
If you'd like to get involved with Sewing Angelic, you can contact Lee Memorial Health Systems.