Patients Stitch Their Way to Health

Every Tuesday Usha Murthy has the same routine. When her lunch hour hits, she picks up her son from his early dismissal day of school and together they attend a knitting class at the Jennifer Diamond Cancer Foundation at 9410 Owensmouth Ave.

"My mom asked me to come to class and support her," said 12 year old Abhe Murthy.  In January, his mother Usha was diagnosed with breast cancer, a diagnosis that devastated the family. But when she saw an advertisement at Kaiser Permanente hospital about the knitting class being offered at the center, she knew it would be a good activity to bring her family together and away from thinking about the illness.

"It's a good thing to get away from work and watching TV and killing time to do something functional," said Usha.

She tried using yarn to knit her early projects, but her illness made it difficult.

"When I went through chemo I couldn't handle anything that wasn't cotton," said Usha. "It would burn my skin."  

So Usha began sewing cotton quilts, and is now making a small blanket with her son.  

Beginning students like Usha to experienced knitters all participate in the weekly class from 1pm to 3pm.  The knitting class formed in January by volunteer instructor Virginia Dare who has been knitting since she was four. As a thyroid cancer survivor herself, Virginia knows the value of staying busy while undergoing treatment. When she was approached by the center to teach the class, Virginia excitedly accepted.  She reached out to fellow members of the Valley Quilt Guild for donations and now supplies all the fabrics and patterns for the class.

"Needle arts gives them something to work on, fills the time, and makes them happy to make something," said Dare. Students work individually on needle arts projects including knitting, crocheting, quilting and embroidering, and are encouraged to work at their own pace.

Student Vilma Lodenquai has been working at a quick pace since she started six months ago as she has already made the tops of three quilts. With adult children who live out of the area and a husband suffering from Dementia, Vilma says the class provides a nice social escape from her battle with breast cancer.

"I enjoy meeting people who have it and we have something in common. It helps," said Lodenquai. "It's a good chance for me to get out of the house."

She is now making a brown and pink afghan throw blanket for the center.

"Sometimes when you're going through chemotherapy and all that your temperature doesn't always control," said Virginia about the warmth that comes from the creations made in the class. The homemade feel of the throws and quilts she says can be great comfort during the illness. For students like Usha, the knitting class has been a great comfort during her battle with cancer. A battle that, as of two months ago, she won.

"All gone, all good!" said Usha.