Knots of Love provides comfort to young patients
The community at Lions Park Elementary School in Mount Prospect held its third Knots of Love event Friday evening at Prospect High School.
Unlike the last two events, which celebrated Lauren Graver's heroic battle against a rare cancer, this one was filled with memories. Lauren died in December less, than a month after dropping the puck with Eddie Olczyk at the Chicago Blackhawks' "Hockey Fights Cancer" night.
Lauren, who was a 10-year-old fourth-grader when she died, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a muscle-based cancer, just a month before starting second grade.
Teacher Toby Black came up with the idea of a Knots of Love community project to make blankets for pediatric patients at Advocate Lutheran General Children's Hospital in Park Ridge.
Lauren had received such a blanket when she was first admitted for treatment, and it meant a lot to her, family and friends said.
The first year, Lions Park Knots of Love made 430 blankets.
"Each blanket was tagged with a heart that students at Lions Park colored, many of them with words of support and encouragement written on the back," Black said at the time. "A sticker was placed on each colored heart that said, 'Made in honor of Lauren Graver and tied with love for you!'"