Newspaper Page Text
10A
JUNE 8, 2uuo
Quilters provide comfort to children in need
By Eileen Rivers
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
After two days of sewing, stuff
ing, clipping and piecing together
colorful strips of fabric, Ginger
Claxton Davis, co-coordinator of
Augusta’s “Project Linus,” will
have a quilt worthy of the words
“handmade with love” that she
will stitch on its inside tag.
“The love comes back out of
thése blankets when the children
use them,” Davis said. “There
havebeen doctors whohavemade
notes about pediatric cancer pa
tients using these quilts to hang
onto during recovery, and they
seem to have made a difference.”
Since 1995, “Project Linus,” an
organization dedicated to bright
ening the lives of severely ill and
traumatized youngsters, hasgiven
quilts to more than 185,000 chil
dren, helping them through ev
erything from cancer and chemo
therapy, totransitioningintotem
porary shelters to escape abuse
and neglect.
Davis, along with assistant co
ordinator Carol Armstrong, plan
to use the project to make that
much, ifnot more, of animpact on
children in the Augusta area.
But before her involvement in
this project, she was already us
ingher quilts to make a difference
in the lives of others, Davis said.
During the past six months, she
has donated more than 20 to
friends, family members and “any
one in need.”
When she heard about “Project
Linus” on a quilting show last
month — one she is admittedly
addicted to — she didn’t think
twice about getting involved or
MCG doctors make live “house
calls” through the Internet.
By Lillian Wan
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
The Internet is a virtual ency
clopedia with literally thousands
of links to nearly every topic. It
can also be a source of instant
communication by way of e-mail
or chat rooms. Imagine combin
ing the encyclopedia and commu
nication aspects. That is what
MCGHealthCare, Inc. didin sched
uling this year’s second MediChat
Online for two hours on Tuesday,
June 6, from a suite of computer
rooms at Alison & Associates.
Doctors from seven differént
specialties were set up as the “en
cyclopedias” to answer questions
on the MediChat: Dr. Robert
Gambrell on Sports Medicine; Dr.
Timothy Young on Joint Replace
ment; Dr. James Carroll on Stroke;
Dr. Robert Schade on Digestive
Disorders; Dr. Alex Mabe on
Children’s Behavioral Problems;
Dr. Robert Finnegan on Pain
Management; and Dr. Karen Yeh
on Breast Cancer/Breast Health.
The communication part was a
chat room for each doctor set up
through the MCG web site of
www.mcghealthcare.org. Ms.
Aaliya Abdulla, the webmaster,
wotes that the site is constantly
.pdated with information on over
Otopics with about 1,000 pages of
nedical data. The MediChats were
et up as a service for the public
rith computer access to commu
icate anonymously in real time
ith doctors about symptomes, ill
'sses and any other health care
uations. It was a new way for
ople to comfortably get a live
ouse call” from an actual MCG
iysician in the privacy of their
yme,
A short-range plan is to sched
e such onlinechats every two to’
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Carol Armstrong, coordinator of Augusta’s “Project Linus,” stitches her latest quilt to donate to
the project. Armstrong started the project in April as part of a church outreach mission. Photo by
Eileen Rivers
giving her time and talent to the
worthy cause.
“I immediately reacted,” Davis
said. “I knew it was perfect for
me. I had already been giving
away so many quilts that I made,
and I really feel like this is my
calling— being able to use my life
to give has been the main thing
for me.”
But four years ago, when she
started quilting, being able to fill
her time was near the top of her
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Dr. James Carroll answers questions concerning strokes. Doctors
from seven different specialties were set up as the “encyclope
dias” to answer questions on the MediChat. Photos by Lillian Wan
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Ms. Aaliya Abdulla, the
webmaster, constantly updates
thesite with information onover
40 topics with about 1,000
pages of medical data.
three months. This will alsodraw
more awareness to the MCG web
site and its wealth ofhealth infor
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
AUUUDIL'A FOCUS
priority list.
“I had just left my career in
marketing at the Marriott in or
der tobe afull-time mother,” Davis
explained. “I was staying home
with my newborn son, and I was
looking for something to doin my
spare time.”
She took a 10-week class at
Branum’s Sewingand Vacuum on
Washington Road, developed alove
for the art of quilting, and a height
ened sense of moral and spiritual
mation available online for the
public.
With a chat room set up, not
only is communication live be
tween the anonymous questioner
and the doctor, but anyone can
Join in the chat room at any time
and also view all the questions
and answers. Tuesday night, folks
were able to see information by
Dr.Schade on the newest medica
tion for constipation. People saw
the suggestion and explanation by
Dr. Mabe on putting spidersintoa
jar and how that would help a
particular child’s fear of spiders.
A young woman with' conterns
about breast cancer was even able
to ask Dr. Yeh to speak with her
by phone.
Watch for announcements of
upcoming MediChat’s by MCG
Health Care on their web site of
www.mcghealthcare.org.
obligation to those in need.
Already the Augusta organiza
tion has about 60 volunteers, and
recently gave a set of quilts to
Child Enrichment, Inc. — a local
transition center for abused and
neglected children. Next month
“Project Linus,” named after the
infamous Peanuts character, will
donate a box of quilts to social
workers in the Medical College of
Georgia’s Pediatric Oncology Unit.
While all deliveries are anony-
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Living
mous, volunteers occasionally get
the chance to see a child pick out
aquilt, something Davis describes
as a great feeling.
“Thisisreally agift that T have,”
she added. “Not just the quilting,
but the gift of giving. The main
thingisn’thow it makesthe quilter
feel, but what it does for the chil
dren who get them.”
Though she is more of an ac
complished quilter now, Davissays
her personal experience proves
that you don’t have to start out as
an expert, in order to make a
significant contribution to the or
ganization.
“Therereallyisnowrongway to
do this,” the project coordinator
explained. “If youdon’t know how
to make a quilt or a blanket you
can donate cash or stamps. One
woman took two pieces of colored
fabric, sewed them together and
made asmall summerblanket out
of it. It was wonderful.”
Other forms of donatinginclude
buying fabrics, writing thank you
notes and volunteering time as
the organization needsit. Project
coordinators are also soliciting
S2O-S3O donations from corporate
Sponsors.
“We're also available for public
speaking engagements about the
project,” Davis said.
They are currently accepting
any type of knitted, crocheted or
sewn blanket or quilt with only
one stipulation —it must be hand
made in “child-friendly” colors.
Individual donations can be
made at the Sewing Galleryin the
Winn Dixie Shopping Center on
Fury’s Ferry Road and the War
ren Baptist Church office on Wash
ington Road.
For more information on
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Project Linus member Ginger
Claxton Davis. Project Linus is
dedicated to donating quiltsto
tramatized and terminally ill:
children. Photo by Eileen Rivers '
“Project Linus” contact Ginger
Claxton Davis at(706)868-7100 or
Carol Armstrongat(7o6)736-4330,
or log on to the organization’s
website at www.projectlinus.org.
On Wednesday, July 12, quilt
ingteachersat Branum’s will hold
a “Project Linus” sew-in, open to
anyone who knows how to quilt or
wants to learn, Davis said.
Sbop
Augusta Focus
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