Volunteers make stress blankets for Linden Oaks adolescents

Volunteers and staff of Linden Oaks met at the Linden Oaks Education Center in Naperville to create stress blankets for adolescent patients on Saturday, June 17.

More than a dozen people worked together to match and cut felt fabric to be sewn to make stress blankets for patients of Linden Oaks' Adolescent Inpatient Unit.

The event was led by Christine Hanley, the marketing coordinator at Linden Oaks. Hanley got the idea in 2015 from her coworker Pauline Portell.

"I learned of the need, and then I took it and ran with it," said Hanley.

According to Fran Zucco, the clinical leader of the adolescent inpatient unit, the patients enjoy the blankets because they help the patients focus on the present treatment while distracting them from their illnesses.

"They are reassuring and comforting when [the patients] are feeling anxious," said Zucco.

Zucco mentioned that many patients do this by tying and untying the blankets during treatment.

"That helps to distract them," said Zucco.

Christine Hanley also organized several other events to create the blankets throughout Illinois. In total, 1300 blankets were made in 2016. That same year, 1500 adolescents were admitted to the inpatient program that same year.

"Our goal is to supply a blanket for each adolescent that goes through the program," said Hanley.

People were able to volunteer through Giving DuPage and the DuPage Foundation Next Generation Initiative.

Fran Zucco credits the volunteers for allowing the event to succeed these past two years.

"Without them, we really wouldn't have these blankets…it makes a huge difference," said Zucco.