Organizations partner to provide donations to City of Hope patients

Tricia P. Eugenio, RN, BSN, OCN, right, and Mandy Eglseder carry donated crocheted hats and pillows through City of Hope in Valencia on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. Footprints in Pink donated some 150 crocheted hats, referred to as the Chemo Cap Collection, and 25 pillows that were made by the seniors of SCV. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal
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This Thanksgiving holiday, community members donated crocheted hats and hand-made mastectomy pillows to patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment at City of Hope Santa Clarita.

The large donation was a joint effort between Footprints in Pink, the SCV Senior Center and the seniors of Friendly Valley.

Donated crocheted hats and pillows sit on the floor at City of Hope in Valencia on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. Footprints in Pink donated some 150 crocheted hats, referred to as the Chemo Cap Collection, and 25 pillows that were made by the seniors of SCV. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal

For months, the seniors worked to crochet nearly 150 hats and sew approximately 30 pillows for patients at City of Hope Santa Clarita.

“They’ve been working on them since July,” Footprints in Pink Founder Jennifer Kennedy said.  “Our philosophy is we don’t anybody to be cold during the winter season just because they’re a cancer patient.”

This is the second year the organizations partnered to create personal items for patients undergoing chemo at both City of Hope Santa Clarita and at the Providence Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center in Burbank.

“There is no reason why a cancer patient should not have at least a hat,” Kennedy said.  “That’s what we want to make sure is that, here in Santa Clarita at least, every cancer patient gets a free hat.”

From left to right, Emily Chavez, Shirley Alecock and Jennifer Kennedy, all with Footprints in Pink, poses with the doctors of City of Hope in Valencia on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. Footprints in Pink donated some 150 crocheted hats, referred to as the Chemo Cap Collection, and 25 pillows that were made by the seniors of SCV. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal

Mandy Eglseder, physician relations liaison at City of Hope Santa Clarita, said the hats and pillows will go into goodie bags the treatment center serves.

“It’s nice to be able to give them something while they’re going through treatment to let them know that we care and that it’s not all just teaching them about chemo and blood draws,” said Dr. Tricia P. Eugenio, an oncology program nurse navigator at City of Hope Santa Clarita.  “This is the personal aspect of it so that’s a nice touch that we have that to give it to them for free.”

M. Houman Fekrazad, M.D., left, looks at a donated hat with Thomas Joseph, M.D. at City of Hope in Valencia on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. Footprints in Pink donated some 150 crocheted hats, referred to as the Chemo Cap Collection, and 25 pillows that were made by the seniors of SCV. Nikolas Samuels/The Signal

The donations are also a way to follow the treatment center’s mission to be patient-centered and focus on the “whole person,” according to Eugenio.

“It’s good timing because it’s getting colder.  It’s just being sensitive that a side effect of chemo is them losing their hair,” Eugenio said.  “It’s just a token that we care and that we’re focusing on the patients’ needs so we really do appreciate it so they don’t have to purchase it.”

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