Octogenarians Knit 300 Red Hats For Newborns

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Two assisted living residents are warming babies’ heads and the hearts of parents after taking up knitting.

Ed Moseley, 87, and Lorraine Waddles, 85, both residents at Dogwood Forest in Acworth, delivered 300 red hand-knitted caps to Northside Hospital on Feb. 9.

Their donation coincides with the Metro Atlanta American Heart Association’s Little Hats, Big Hearts campaign to raise awareness of congenital heart disease in newborns, as well as the need to fight heart disease in general.

All babies born in February, designated as American Heart Month, receive a locally knitted or crocheted red baby hat along with a family kit that provides resources and educational material.

More than 40,000 babies a year are born with congenital heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Moseley, a retired engineer, first made headlines in November when he and his colleagues at the retirement home community learned to knit, so they could donate the caps to preemies born at Northside.

“It was just a challenge at first, but after delivering the first caps in November I was overwhelmed by the dedication and passion of the Northside Hospital staff,” Moseley said. “They asked for red caps for the February heart month and I was more than eager to use my new, but novice talent of knitting.

Little Hats, Big Hearts began in Chicago in 2014 and has grown to include 460 hospitals in 40 states.

Northside Hospital in Atlanta delivers more babies than any other single hospital in the nation and on average delivers 1,100 newborns each February.

For more information about Little Hats, Big Hearts, visit the campaign's website. Visit Northside Hospital's website for additional details about the facility.

Images via Northside Hospital