Every couch and chair was occupied by students tying heart-shaped pillows together. When seating space ran out, some students ended up sitting on the floor.
Forest’s Women in Science, Technology, Informatics and Mathematics living-learning community hosted an event to make 200 pillows to donate to Bloomington Hospital’s cancer center and Middle Way House on Thursday.
The project was founded by sophomore Hannah Kassab, who started it in high school. Kassab has been running the project for five years, including two at IU.
“In high school I brought it to my school key club,” Kassab said. “I took it to my church, got my community involved, and when I came here last year the women in STIM helped expand the impact and finally bring it to Bloomington.”
Have-a-Heart was started in honor of Kassab’s grandfather. Kassab’s mom noticed the cancer center he was at didn’t have any pillows, and Kassab thought she could do something to help. At the start of the project, she found the heart shape also had a practical use.
“We adopted the heart shape because when we brought it to the breast cancer center one of the patients was super excited because it fits under her arm,” Kassab said. “When they get a mastectomy it’s uncomfortable, and the pillow is a good shape for them.”
Last year, the project was just within the STIM community, and they made 100 pillows. This year, their total is doubled and the event involves all of Forest.
“I had seen the fliers up all around the building, and I knew a lot of friends who were coming so I thought I should go too,” freshman resident Jordan McCarty said.
Many other Forest residents came to the event and some of them also brought nonresident friends to help the cause.
“We’re really excited that it’s going this well, and it’s also really nice for us to host an event like this since we’re the newest living-learning center on campus, so we can reach out to the community in a broader way than just existing,” LeAnna Phillips said.
Phillips is the resident assistant for the STIM floor that hosted the event.
Each pillow was pre-cut, and then those involved tied the edges of them together before they stuffed them.
Although 200 pillows were tied, only about 65 were stuffed due to storage issues.
Throughout the year, Bloomington Hospital will contact Kassab for more pillows when they run out, and she’ll stuff more and ?send them.
Have-a-Heart sent donations to the Bloomington Hospital last year. However, this is the first year that they’re also donating to Middle Way.
IU Health has a cancer center, cancer radiation centers and in-patient and out-patient cancer service, according to IU Health’s 2013 Cancer report.
In 2013, Monroe County had 362 cases of cancer that IU Health treated. This is 46.71 percent of the cancer patients IU Health sees, ?according to its report.
“Because we have a women living-learning community, we want to empower women, and we decided Middle Way House would be a good cause to support,” said Grace Blackwell, vice chair of programming for STIM’s leadership council.
Along with Phillips, Blackwell helped to ?coordinate the event.
Because it was being hosted so close to Valentine’s Day, the event had a Valentine’s theme, with heart-shaped candy being given out and a romantic comedy playing while ?people worked.
Though there was a lot of enthusiasm while making the pillows, what really keeps Have-a-Heart going is the patients who get the pillows.
“The patients just receive them so well,” Kassab said. “They’re in a very dark place when they’re going through treatment, and it’s just a way to show that someone is thinking of them.”
