ConKerr cases help conquer cancer

Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago is using a distinctive ConKerr Cancer pillowcase on the bed in its lobby. It is an eye-catching part of a mock-up of what patient rooms will look like in its new state-of-the-art hospital.

"It adds so much to the room," said Tamara Baloun, director of volunteer resources and children services at the hospital. "It makes the room homey, child-friendly and brings personality and color to a sterile environment."

Martha Stewart recognized the cheerful pillowcases and the program founder Cindy Kerr with the first Dreamers into Doers Grand Prize on national television. The award included $20,000 and three sewing machines for Kerr to continue her philanthropic efforts.

The 10-minute exposure on "Martha Stewart Living" set off the East coast organization's spread across the country into 47 hospitals served by 42 chapters including Canada and one in Africa.

Now Pieceful Hearts fabric store in Lisle offers everyone the opportunity to make pillowcases from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or any time segment, on Friday. If you can press, cut or sew a straight line, there is a task for you on the store's assembly line. Experienced sewers will be able to work at their own pace on their own sewing machine. Call the store at (630) 718-0112 to register.

The pillowcase story begins with Pennsylvania mother Cindy Kerr, who made pillowcases for her two daughters' sports teams or as birthday gifts accompanied with a book and packets of hot chocolate.

When Kerr's 12-year-old son, Ryan, was diagnosed in 2002 with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, she made him a pillowcase to brighten his hospital stay.

"Ryan then began looking forward to seeing what his next pillowcase would look like," Kerr said.

Confronted with her son's terminal diagnosis, Kerr turned to sewing and completed roughly 30 pillowcases one night with her daughter.

"We brought them all in the next day to give to all the other kids on the ward," Kerr said. "Then with a couple friends helping, it started taking off in that hospital."

Soon Kerr would find piles of cases at her doorstep. Ryan's teacher designed a brochure and Ryan's friend came up with the organization's name, ConKerr Cancer -- A Case for Smiles.

"You always want to help your child," Kerr said. "I couldn't cure Ryan, but at least I could make his life and that of other kids a little better."

Ryan had more than 15 surgeries and numerous rounds of chemotherapy. Even with the loss of his leg, he continued in sports, rock climbing and water skiing and started golf. He also created the group's Web site.

"When Ryan was feeling well, we'd go to the hospital and sew with the kids," Kerr said. "Because he had such determination, he survived so long and affected so many people."

Ryan was 17 when he passed away Feb. 6, 2008. Although he did not want to be remembered as the ConKerr Cancer kid, his positive can-do attitude inspires people to become involved.

ConKerr Cancer has distributed roughly 30,000 pillowcases to date.

In the northeast Illinois chapter, quilter Susan Abraham oversees sewathons, as she will do at Pieceful Hearts. She can be reached at patchesprints@aol.com.

For now, the pillowcase program serves only Children's Memorial Hospital and its 400 new oncology patients a year.

"Many kids are losing their hair and so when they wake up in the morning, they are not looking at a white pillow with their hair all over it," Baloun said. "It doesn't seem as noticeable on the bright, kid-friendly pillowcase."

Kids get to choose the pillowcase they want, which allows imaginative volunteers a little creativity.

"We need people to sew, to donate fabric and to drop off completed pillowcases," Abraham said. "It is always a work in progress because the pillowcases are always needed."

From ballerinas to dinosaurs, from soccer balls to smiling elephants, volunteers try to create cases youthful recipients will get excited to own. Fabrics are mostly 100 percent cotton.

"We especially want to make sure we have fabrics suitable for all ages and interests including 14- to 18-year-old boys as Ryan was," said Kerr.

The person sewing donates most fabrics, though organizers are looking into fundraisers and seeking companies to donate fabric. Three yards is enough to make four cases and a coordinating 1½ yards is needed for the four cuffs. It is simple straight sewing. Directions are on the brochure available at Pieceful Hearts and on the Web site, www.ConKerrCancer.org.

Every pillowcase is washed, pressed and folded into a zip lock bag waiting for a child with serious illness to select it from a basket and know it is made with love.