When Kathy DeJoseph was about to lose her hair to cancer, a simple act of kindness — a cap gifted to her by a stranger — did more than warm her head. It changed her life.
Inspired by that small gesture, DeJoseph, 74, has spent 20 to 30 hours a week for the past nine years paying it forward. With the help of 150 volunteers, many with similar stories, DeJoseph has given out 47,000 hand-knitted caps to cancer patients, mainly at Wellstar Health System facilities in North Georgia.
DeJoseph said many who received a cap reacted as she did.
“It is just kind of overwhelming to think somebody made this for me,” she said. “And it’s right at the same time that you just lost your hair or you are about to, which is a horrible experience.”
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
At 61, DeJoseph was diagnosed with lung cancer and given a 17% chance of survival. Six days after her diagnosis, she began four months of chemotherapy, followed by surgery in 2012. Almost as soon as she was back on her feet, she started a five-year stint as a volunteer at Wellstar’s STAT Clinic, where, in a single day, multiple cancer experts collaborate on a patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan.
She was still volunteering at the STAT Clinic when her memories of the cap she received gave her the inspiration to start the nonprofit Happy Caps in 2015.
Her volunteers are mostly cancer survivors or a friend or loved one of a cancer patient. They knit at home, in groups at churches, libraries and senior centers as well as at Happy Caps headquarters at a Wellstar facility in Cobb County.
Now cancer-free for more than a decade, DeJoseph shared the story of Happy Caps with Inspire Atlanta in March. Within weeks, she had signed up about 20 new volunteers and received requests to expand Happy Caps to other parts of the state. Though she had to decline, she happily offered to speak to any groups about setting up their own chapters.
The group effort “touches so many people,” she said. Happy Caps has been a social outlet for her, something she wasn’t expecting.
“I’ve never been a real social person, but it sort of forced me to be,” said DeJoseph. “Happy Caps gave me a mission, a reason to get up every day, and something I could do that I could feel proud of and feel like I was making a difference for people.”
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
She said the volunteers also seem to feel that Happy Caps has given them a purpose in their later years. Most are in their 60s and 70s. They all know what handmade caps have done for cancer patients. They hear about it in calls, emails and letters filled with gratitude from cancer patients and their families, DeJoseph said.
She spends most of her weekdays on the phone with the knitters, hearing about their latest caps and making sure they know their efforts are appreciated.
Now in her 70s and dealing with some health issues, DeJoseph is ready to pass on the leadership of Happy Caps to the next generation. She’s looking for someone in their 50s or 60s to take the reins. Though she’ll be stepping back, she’ll continue knitting away for cancer patients and feeling blessed by the joy Happy Caps has brought her.
“It’s given me a whole second purpose in life,” she said.
HOW TO HELP
If you’re interested in bringing Happy Caps to a nearby cancer center or are interested in starting your own group, please email contact@happycaps.us for more information.
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