The purpose: To increases awareness of childhood cancers which will lead to more money for research to find better treatments and a cure.

The need: One in 330 children will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20. One in five will die within the first 5 years of diagnosis. Many more die later from relapse or side effects of treatments. Ninety-eight percent of all survivors will suffer from at least one chronic health issue and by age 45, 80% will have a critical or disabling health problem. Most of these health issues are side effects of the treatment. In terms of potential years lost childhood cancer comes second only to breast cancer. Four percent of the NCI’s research budget goes to all childhood cancers. In Canada three percent is given. Big pharma puts little research into childhood cancers as they are not profitable. The underfunding is a worldwide problem.

The method: Gold Ribbon Craft is a collection of gold themed knit or crochet patterns to help raise awareness. Gold could be anything from delicate and creamy too bright and happy too dark and splendid and it is the color for childhood cancer. I am looking for designers and yarn dyers who are willing to donate their talents for this cause. Patterns will be quality designed items that are a pleasure to knit and crochet and can be worn and thereby seen by others, designed primarily for adults with a few for children or sized for all. Although some items may be suitable to be a quick project for fundraising or charity this is not the primary goal.

Those passionate about knitting and crocheting beautiful items to spread awareness are looking for well-designed patterns they can be proud of wearing and giving.

The deadline for designs and finished objects is April 15^th, 2014. Publishing date will be in September, 2014.

And that’s the plan so far…..

The idea for the gold project came to me last summer, when Bronwyn was recovering from VAD surgery. I felt the crushing need to do something to improve childhood cancer treatments so no other family has to endure what we have. You can read about Bronwyn’s story in the Knitting in a Hopeless Place posts. Here is the capsule version: Bronwyn was diagnosed with AML, a difficult to treat leukemia, on January 15^th, 2012. She endured four months of intense in-hospital treatment and was cancer free but on May 16^th, while still recovering in the Children’s Hospital in London, Ontario she suffered chemo induced cardiomyopathy and was airlifted to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto where we were told she would die as her heart was too weak and her blood counts were too low to be put on life support. For two weeks the doctors and Bronwyn did everything possible to stay alive on the chance her counts would rise and they did. On June 3^rd she underwent open heart surgery to have an LVAD put in. It is a small heart assist device that will keep her alive until she qualifies to be put on the transplant list on January 15^th, 2014 and through the wait for a new heart.

This project is very personal to me. I signed my daughter up for torchure because it was the only option available. If you know anything about chemo you know I do not exaggerate. She didn’t go to the hospital once a week for a dose. She had 2-3 different chemos running through her central line over 2 1/2 – 3 hours every 12 hours for 10 days during the first chemo round. This is not unusual for childhood cancer treatment. She was given three weeks for her blood to recover, most spent in hospital as she had no immune system, before being put through another round of chemo lasting days. This went on for four months, four chemo rounds. Blood counts took longer to recover each time. We met a girl whose blood counts didn’t recover for months after the same treatment. This is why the doctors didn’t believe Bronwyn would live long enough to get the invasive treatment she needed to survive heart failure. I hope you never have to tell your child she may die and help her make end-of-life decisions. It’s hell. The recovery from VAD surgery, after being sick for so long was brutal but we were grateful she had something to recover from. Her first steps on July 6th, 2012 were a celebration. She was discharged on August 9th and tomorrow she will start grade 9 making her the first child in Ontario to attend public school with a VAD.

Before cancer Bronwyn was a healthy athlete. She had no heart issues. She was fit and ate a wholesome diet. She was a Highland Dancer
[Highland Dance Competition, Nov. 5th, 2011]

and competitive curler.
[Team Keetch, 2011]

She was handpicked by her coach for a team with Olympics as the goal. It has been hard to watch the team go on without her but they still wear an orange ribbon [the colour for leukemia] on their team jackets.

She is a leader
[Junior Camp Counselor at Camp Gitchigomee, summer, 2011]

and a good friend.

[Bronwyn and Haylie in Bronwyn’s bedroom]

Her friends, dance troupe, curling team and kids and staff at Camp Gitchigomee love her and miss her and Bronwyn misses them. All she wants is to go back home.
[The Sleeping Giant in the Thunder Bay harbour. Home.]

It’s what we all want…..but we have a different road to travel. So here we wait in Toronto for a new heart and make the best of it. Bronwyn will go to school, Sinead and Barry will work and I will do what I can to raise awareness. I am committed to getting this collection of patterns published. I must make some good come out of our tragedy. People will say that things happen for a reason. I disagree. My daughter got cancer because we live in a world of sickness. If there is any reason to be found it is because we will create it.

I know the fibre community to be full of passion, generosity and creativity. The Knitting for Gold project is the perfect expression for it. 
[The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze table at The Knitter’s Frolic in Toronto. Rhichard has been a great support of this project, printing and handing out these Knitting for Gold fliers and talking to fellow dyers and designers about it. It so touched my heart to see he had the picture of us, taken at the Creativ Festival, fall, 2012 where we met, framed and on his table as well.]