43
Senior project turns into ongoing effort
Photo
Sherrie Campana of Boardman, seated, is wrapped in a Blanket of Hope made by Emily Erb of Green Township, right, as her senior project at South Range High School. Emily was inspired to help cancer patients when Campana, a friend of her mother, Mary Kay Erb, left, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Senior project turns into an ongoing effort
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
Blankets of Hope wrap cancer patients in love, prayer and a special brand of coziness that comes from knowing someone cares.
The blankets began as Emily Erb’s senior project at South Range High School. The senior requirement, Emily said, is to do a project to learn something or give back to the community, and 15 hours must be devoted to it. In her project, she’s learned many things and given fleece blankets to cancer patients and survivors and their families. She’s spent about 250 hours making 128 blankets.
Emily said she was inspired by Sherrie Campana of Boardman, a nurse who works with Emily’s mother, Mary Kay, in the cardiac medical intensive-care unit at St. Elizabeth Health Center, where Emily’s dad, Greg, is a respiratory therapist.
Campana said she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in September 2012. “Mary Kay helped me through the process,” Campana said of her friend. Campana underwent chemotherapy for six months and had 37 radiation treatments.
A member of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Boardman, Campana said she found strength in a passage of Scripture as she battled the disease: “I fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept my faith” is from 2 Timothy 4:7.
Campana shared with her friend and Emily that cancer patients often feel cold and need comfort. That sparked the idea for Blankets of Hope, which has practical and spiritual sides. The cozy blankets provide warmth while an accompanying Scripture passage offers encouragement.
At first, the blankets went only to patients at the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center at St. E’s. Blankets still go there and now to cancer patients at other Humility of Mary Health Partners sites. As part of the senior project, Emily wrote a report on the care center, interviewing Dr. Rashid Abdu. The center is named for his late wife, who died of breast cancer. He made a promise to her to help establish a comprehensive breast-care center in the Valley. The $8 million center offers mammogams and treatment.
Mary Kay Erb said she thought her daughter might make 10 or 20 blankets. But the response from cancer patients and their families motivated Emily to take the project to another level.
Though neither she nor her mother had any experience sewing, they worked it out and can make a blanket in about 30 minutes. Blankets, made from 13/4 yards of fabric, have solid color and print sides. The Scripture passage is written on duck cloth and sewn on.
Emily and her family, which includes brothers Greg, 20, and Scott, 16, live in Green Township and are members of Greenford Christian Church. “The project wouldn’t be what it is without God. ... He’s central to it,” Emily said, adding, “God’s light shines on it.”
With each blanket, Emily includes a letter explaining the project. She also notes that she is praying for the recipient. She enlisted children at Greenford Christian to make cards for the blankets with messages such as “God loves you” and “praying for you.”
“I wanted to show the little kids that everyone can make a difference. They might be young, but they can help people by being kind,” Emily said.
Emily’s parents said they knew Emily was suited to this type of project. “It’s the kind of person she is,” her mother said of her volunteer service.
“What she’s doing at such a young age is more than most people will do in their lives,” Greg Erb said of his 18-year-old daughter.
“I want the blankets to help people who are fighting for their lives and those who have fought,” Emily said. “I think it also brings awareness about cancer.”
From her own experience, Campana said just knowing other people cared helped her. That has held true from the responses of other recipients, who have sent Emily cards of thanks.
Emily funds the purchase of fabric for Blankets of Hope by sponsoring bake sales and recycling pull-tabs on cans.
She will attend Youngstown State University in the fall as a pre-med major.