Inside Duke Medicine
Durham Regional volunteer makes a difference
posted January 5th, 2009
Find out how this volunteer makes a difference at Durham Regional Hospital.
Lee Hansen lends more than just volunteer hours to patients. For the past four and a half years, she has knitted hats for newborns at Durham Regional in her spare time.
As of this Fall, Hansen has knitted a total of 2,000 hats.
Hansen typically knits 50 hats at a time and delivers them to the hospital for the newborns.
Her standard designs are solid light pink, solid light blue and a multi-color pastel. For Halloween, she knitted pumpkin hats, and this holiday season Hansen made 90 red and white striped hats.
Hansen began knitting hats for newborns in 2004 after hearing about a similar program at a hospital in Arizona.
She has volunteered at DRH four years in the Giftique, and she volunteers at Davis Ambulatory Surgical Center. She has also performed at Durham Regional as part of the “Second Time Arounders” tap group.
“Some of the new moms have come to the Giftique and thanked me personally,” says Hansen. “It makes me feel good to know they appreciate the work I put into making the hats. It takes an hour and a half to knit just one hat.”
There are many DRH volunteers knitting hats for newborns, but Hansen is the leader with more than 2,000 completed.
DRH has provided hats for newborns since the hospital opened in 1976.