90-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Knits Over 11,000 Newborn Hats To Donate to Her Local Hospital for Newborns.

Hospital staff put a hat on a baby soon after birth to regulate their body temperature. A warm hat calms and comforts newborns as they adjust to life outside the womb. That is why the hospital staff and new moms are so appreciative of Jeanie’s handmade hats. Many families keep the hats as cherished keepsakes; they hold sentimental value as their baby’s first hat.  

Jeanie lives with her husband of nearly 70 years. They have seven children, 15 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Although she has plenty to keep her busy, she still found time to start a fun hobby in her 70s after she retired. When she began making newborn hats, she found it so purposeful that she never stopped. All her handmade hats are made completely free of charge. When she sits down to make the hats each night, she is completely focused on the task at hand. There is no blaring television or music in the background to disrupt her process. Each hat takes Jeannie approximately 15 minutes and is made to perfectly fit an infant-sized head.   

To honor Jeanie’s years of dedication and selfless volunteerism, the staff decided to collect pictures of her creations to make a scrapbook. The hospital made a special request on social media to all the new moms to submit a picture of their newborn wearing the hat they had received. The response was overwhelming. Thousands of grateful new moms soon shared adorable photos of their newborns wearing their special hats. The staff then compiled a portion of the pictures in an album that they presented to Jeanie.

“I didn’t realize making hats would go this far. I appreciate it a whole lot,” Jeanie said, shocked and surprised at the hospital’s gesture of gratitude for her service. “It makes me feel proud and wonderful that I can do this to give the babies a warm head to start life,” she added. She glanced through the sweet photos, teary-eyed and proud of what her evening hobby has done for the tiniest members of her community.  

The supportive response her donated hats received has encouraged Jeanie to continue her work.

“I’ve always said I want to live to be 100,” Jeanie said. “As long as I’m able to make them, I will,” she vowed.

PassItOn and The Foundation For A Better Life believe Jeanie Shaffer is a hero. Jeanie’s actions are a great example of the value of caring. Her labor of love has brought comfort to precious newborns, and parents treasure her gifts. Please help us celebrate Jeanie by sharing her heartwarming story.

Watch video here:  https://youtu.be/UjmE78YHbk4

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