By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

Longtime Hull resident Jean Liben has embarked on a project to donate 500 handmade hats to those suffering with hair loss due to illness, in honor of her sister Helen Valja, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2018.

Many in town may know Liben for her sewing expertise with her company Coastal Aprons, as well as Village Dresses, a mission project Liben began nearly a decade ago to send dresses to orphaned Haitian girls. In 2016, this inspiring story was also made into a children’s book of the same name.

Liben said the girls had nobody who could help them and desperately needed clothing. So, she and some friends got to work sewing dresses – hundreds of them. Now she wants to inspire others to make caps for those going through chemotherapy to remind recipients and their families they are loved and supported. She is calling this project Helen’s Chemo Hats for Hope.

“Helen was always supporting others throughout her life,” Liben said. “She would lend a hand to anyone who needed it… I am sure she would be thrilled with this project.”

The local seamstress is now asking the generous, hardworking people of Hull and surrounding communities to “donate their time, talent, yarn, thread, and fabric for handmaking caps through the art of knitting, crocheting, or sewing.” She would like to have the 500 hats completed by September.

Liben said her nieces, Jennifer, Wendy, and Amy, of Walpole, are very happy she is taking on this project in honor of their mother to help patients going through these extremely challenging times to feel a little less alone.

She said she is “being powered by the love, compassion, and kindness” her sister embodied in all areas of her life, which included working at the Quincy Shipyard right out of high school, becoming a homemaker, volunteer Girl Scout leader, preschool teacher, and eventually a grandmother.

At the Jacobs School, Liben taught Girl Scouts how to make no-sew scarves; she thinks it would be great if leaders want to help their Scouts get involved.

Liben said Helen’s Chemo Hats for Hope project is off to a great start; she has at least 100 hats so far to assist patients who are balding, have partial hair, irritable scalp, or wear wigs.

“They are coming from everywhere; even as far as California…I have them all bagged, tagged, and ready to go,” she said.

Although she does not knit or crochet like her sister Helen, Liben has begun sewing caps out of a variety of fabrics. She had been told vibrant colors, designs, and styles can boost the moods of patients, where softer tones can foster a soothing and tranquil effect.

“My sister Helen could knit or crochet anything…her blankets were as beautiful as a picture,” said Liben.

Liben is moved to know this simple act of kindness can make a difference in the lives of people going through hardship by letting them know even strangers are seeking ways to ease their pain and support them on their journey.

Those who have not gone through it may not know that chemotherapy can cause heads to become tender. Wigs can be itchy, uncomfortable, and expensive compared to caps, which can be made from softer materials.

The key when knitting or crocheting cancer caps is to safeguard the delicate scalp and skin by opting for breathable, lightweight yarn such as bamboo and soft cotton, while steering away from synthetic fibers.

Choosing smooth or non-irritating textures in yarn or fabric helps prevent scalp irritation, while ensuring maximum comfort.

Createtodonate.org has a variety of free patterns for crocheting chemo hats and cancer.org has free hat patterns, including one this is reversible.

When the hats are distributed, Liben hopes recipients receive some comfort from knowing how much love, care, and prayers went into handmaking each one.

“Who knew sewing could bring you to these heights?” asked Liben. “It is a joy to shine some brightness into the days of those in need.”

If you would like to help Jean Liben to support patients on their cancer journey by providing caps to serve as a representation of courage, faith, hope, and love, email her at jvl51@comcast.net.

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