90-Year-Old Woman Pours Love into Knitting Over 11,000 Caps for Newborns at Local Hospital
For the past 15 years, Jeanie Shaffer has been generously giving every baby born at her local hospital their very first gift.
Upon arrival at UPMC Western Maryland in Cumberland, each newborn receives a tiny knit cap the moment they are cleaned up and swaddled. These hats serve to regulate their body temperatures, providing them with comfort as they acclimate to life outside the womb.
Jeanie knits all of these hats completely free of charge. She started making the caps when she was in her mid-70s as a retirement project and hopes to continue until she’s 100. Remarkably, she has already finished more than 11,000 hats!
“It makes me feel proud, wonderful that I can do this to give the babies a warm head to start life with,” she said.
In honor of Mother’s Day, the hospital decided to do something special to honor Jeanie’s many years of selfless donations. On social media, they asked anyone who has had a baby at UPMC Western Maryland in the past 15 years to share a picture of their infant wearing one of Jeanie’s hats.
Thousands of people rushed to share their photos. Many families kept the hats as keepsakes to remember their baby’s first gift ever, and it’s easy to see why. Every single infant looks so precious in their Jeanie-made cap!
Hospital employees gathered all the pictures and put them in a scrapbook to give to Jeanie. As she took in page after page of sweet babies modeling her handiwork, Jeanie seemed surprised to see how much joy her efforts have brought others over the years.
“I didn’t realize that making hats would go that far and do that, and I appreciate it a whole lot,” she said.
What a wonderful way to spend her golden years! Jeanie’s work brings joy, comfort, and care to the tiniest members of her community. She’s giving every family that passes through the hospital a priceless gift that they’ll cherish forever!
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