Posted on January 2nd, 2023

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - A woman in Rockingham County has been sewing a variety of items to donate to Sentara RMH patients and staff.

It started with just one walker bag for a friend in joint therapy, but has turned into hundreds of items for strangers turned friends at the hospital.

Helen Breeden has loved sewing since she was a kid.

“I’ve made comforts, I’ve made pillows, I give lap quilts to the nursing homes, I’ve made bibs for the nursing homes,” Breeden said.

She said sewing is a good way to pass the time and to pass on something special.

Since 2019, she’s made 490 walker bags, 850 surgical caps and 1,310 face masks for patients and staff at Sentara RMH.

“Once I get it in my mind, I stay busy. I don’t give up,” Breeden said.

And by staying busy, Breeden hopes to make a difference and contribute to causes close to her heart, like fighting cancer.

“I have given every year for something like that. I feel I’m giving back. I have a sister who had cancer, and that made me think. She’s had it three times,” Breeden said.

While Breeden said she enjoys being able to give back doing what she loves, it’s the people she meets along the way that motivate her to keep creating.

“In the last ten years, I have really met a lot of people. The people are gonna take you. You’ve got to have friends in this world,” Breeden said.

Even now in her 90s, Breeden has no plans to stop creating any time soon.

Source: WHSV