Patrick Henry Community College’s Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science students participated in a unique service project benefiting the cancer patients of Ravenel Oncology Center of Martinsville Memorial Hospital.
The Upward Bound program includes high school students from Patrick and Henry counties and the City of Martinsville. From rising freshman to rising seniors, 40 students came together for program’s summer community service project.
“We do community service throughout the school year with our students,” said Upward Bound Math and Science Coordinator Courtney Haworth, “I don’t think anyone expected that this project would involve sewing.”
Upward Bound worked with Tara Ardito, a Martinsville Hospital employee and former Upward Bound advisor, to put this summer’s project together. Ardito explained the need she saw at the hospital and showed the students how they could help – which involved sewing 20 porto-cath pillows for local cancer patients.
These overstuffed pillows are about the size of an envelope and can be attached to a seat belt. For those going through chemotherapy, riding with a seatbelt can be uncomfortable because the belt can press on the port and needle that is embedded in their shoulder. The port pillows relieve much of the seatbelt’s pressure and can make car rides much more comfortable.
The students filled Patrick Henry Community College’s Frith Exhibit Hall Thursday afternoon after a long week of summer camp activities. Sitting around assembly tables, some groups cut fabric, some sewed the panels together, and others stuffed the pillows. One group sat with tablets typing encouraging notes for each pillow.
“We are so excited to deliver these,” Haworth said. “We know the little pillow will be so helpful and meaningful to the ones who receive them.”
The pillows will be delivered to the oncology center and distributed to patients later this week.
The service project is part of Upward Bound’s Summer Discovery Institute (SDI) – a six-week long summer camp for high schools students to explore career and academic interests. During the camp, students participate in cultural activities, field trips, and college visits.
