#1000 Stitches For Syria
OTD Alumna Dr. Susan Grace finds new purpose during illness through knitting clothing for Syrian refugees
OTD alumna Susan Grace, OTD, OTR/L, CHT is living her profession in a very personal way, using her knitting skills to clothe Syrian Refugees while she focuses her attention on her most important patient- herself.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and going through subsequent radiation treatments and other lung health problems including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), she was faced with the challenge of not being able to participate in life the way she had for 34 years as an Occupational Therapist specializing in Hand Therapy. After fighting illness, Dr. Grace transitioned from the OT profession three years ago. This was a significant change in her lifestyle, as she had been very active in her work, applying the skills she learned in the OTD program on her patients’ needs. Ironically, as a result of pursuing her OTD in 2005, she has been able to apply many of the skills that she learned at RMUoHP now as a patient, especially about pharmaceuticals and research as she reads journals or articles about her current health situation.
“I believe my patients see me differently, as I have struggles not unlike their own.”
With more time on her hands than ever before, Dr. Grace has found that she has more time for things like social media, which allows her to communicate without having to speak or get out of bed. Dr. Grace also loves to knit, having learned how from her grandmother at a young age. She loves to knit her own designs and patterns and do color work, and she designs bags with sheep patterns, llamas, alpacas and Anatolian designs, as well as making clothes and toys for her eight grandchildren. She recently learned about the #1000 Stitches for Syria project from a knitter on Twitter who is affiliated with the Kingston Knit Traders in Toronto, and she was thrilled to find a project that she could contribute to, for a cause that hits close to home.
The #1000 Stitches for Syria project is lead by Sally Bowen, the owner of Topsy Farms in Amherst Island, Ontario, and Anne Woodall of Knit Traders in Kingston, Ontario. With thousands of Syrian refugees expected to make their way to Canada in the coming winter months, these women dreamt up a plan to provide warmth and hope as refugees enter the country.
“I am happy I can make even a small positive impact for individuals who have had incredibly difficult struggles, losing their homes, friends, livelihoods, family members, risking everything,” Dr. Grace said.
Dr. Grace’s daughter-in-law was a refugee at the age of four when her family fled Mogadishu, Somalia in the late 1980s, so with this shared experience, and after losing her mother (a fellow knitter) recently, she was able to find a way to pay it forward and give back.
Dr. Grace has knitted hats, baby items, scarves and snoods for the project. She was also able to enlist the help of many other women in her local knitting circles who wanted to participate and contribute to the cause, including Ann Kedric from the PEO group, a philanthropic organization which supports women to get education, and gives scholarships and grants to women who qualify, as well as Lorrie Peterson, who Dr. Grace met through the Knit, Sip, Rip group. So far, they have shipped more than 125 items to Toronto for the project. They plan to pick up the project again in the fall of 2016.
“My daily life is much different now, and being involved with [#1000 Stitches for Syria] fits my occupational role of helping people,” said Dr. Grace.
Although she is no longer practicing, her nature is to still inspire those around her, especially her past patients who she often runs into in her small town. “I believe my patients see me differently, as I have struggles not unlike their own,” Dr. Grace said, “I hope that by becoming involved in a project like #1000 stitches for Syria, they will be encouraged to look for new ways to expand their own lives.”
