Teen donates pillows for kids at Vista

Thirteen-year-old Kimberly Ziegenhorn of Grayslake has been quite busy in recent weeks, and for a good cause.

The eighth-grader from Woodland Middle School in Gurnee recently finished making 12 soft, flannel pillows with hypoallergenic stuffing that she donated to the pediatric unit at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.

This is Kimberly's second donation to Vista's pediatric unit in six months. In June, she donated 24 handmade tie blankets for the kids as a service project for her church, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Gurnee.

This time, she wanted to bring the kids in the hospital some comfort all on her own.

“I wanted to make something different this time that was nice and soft and homey,” Kimberly said.

She used her own sewing machine to create the pillows in various colors and patterns for both girls and boys.

Lisa Lees, RN, patient care manager of Vista's pediatric unit, was especially delighted and thankful when Kimberly and her mother came to deliver another handmade project for the kids.

“This is one of the busier times on the Ped's Unit, so this donation is absolutely perfect,” Lees said. “The kids are just going to love these pillows.”