A group of “blanketeers” who got their name from a well-known Charlie Brown character are bringing comfort and love to families with sick children in New Brunswick.
“Project Linus” is a group of volunteers who make colourful security blankets for children aged 0-18 who are in crisis.
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Jo Morse, whose three-year-old daughter, Zoe, was diagnosed with leukemia more than a year ago, was devastated to hear her daughter was sick. For them, getting a cozy comfort blanket felt like a warm embrace in a difficult time.
“It hits you like a wall,” Morse said.
“You always think it’s never going to be your kid, and then one day it is.”
Morse, who lives in Riverview, said knowing her daughter was about to face months, if not years of chemotherapy was hard to digest. She said her daughter has been cozying up with her blanket during her chemotherapy treatments for the past year and a half.
“It was exactly what we needed. When you are in need of comfort what do you reach for, but a blanket?” Morse said.
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Zoe’s blanket was sewn with love by a group of women from the Moncton chapter of the international group, Project Linus — named after the security-blanket-toting Peanuts character, Linus.
“We make blankets for anyone who needs a hug,” said Janet Longaphie, who heads up the Moncton chapter.
The hand-made hugs, as they like to call them, are donated to children who have lost a parent or sibling, and those who have been diagnosed with cancer or other illnesses.
“Our rules are the blankets have to be new, they have to be handmade and they have to be washable,” Longaphie said.
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According to Project Linus Canada, the international group started in the United States in 1995 and was launched in Western Canada in 1998. There are currently 44 Project Linus chapters across the Canada.
Longaphie has been a blanketeer in Moncton for the past eight years, and has helped to give out more than 5,000 comfort blankets.
“So much love goes into the blankets that are made by our blanketeers that I hope that message is felt by whomever is wrapping themselves in a blanket,” Longaphie said.
“It shows that someone cares and what they are going through, they are not alone,” Morse said.
Morse’s daughter is expected to finish her chemotherapy treatments this coming summer. She says she will keep Zoe’s comfort blanket long after her daughter is cancer-free as a reminder of the love and support offered by her community.
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