In the Evans’ Colleyville home, what was once a guest bedroom is now Kay Evans’ sewing room.
“I had not sewn in 30 years,” Evans said. “I was trying to find something to, you know, fill my time, and my neighbor happened to have an old sewing machine. So I asked if I could borrow it.”
Evans said it was a bit like riding a bike. She started sewing baby bibs and burp cloths to donate to NICU families, then branched out to more personal projects. Evans began sewing port pillows to help cushion cancer patients’ seatbelts.
“My heart is so full! I just love being able to do this,” Evans said. “But Lilly is always with me. I always know she’s around me.”
Lilly is Evan’s granddaughter.
“Oh, Lilly was full of spunk! She loved to dance. She loved to sing,” Evans said, surrounded by photos of Lilly in her sewing room. “She wasn’t even 2 when she was diagnosed, so she never knew anything else.”
Lilly was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2015 and passed 3 years after that diagnosis.
“I’m doing this in memory of my granddaughter,” Evans said. “I wanted a way to give back, and Medical City is where I started.”
Medical City is where Lilly was being treated for cancer. Now it’s where her grandmother brings handmade donations to help others like Lilly.
“I want them to know that there’s somebody out there that really cares, and is thinking about them, and wants the best for them,” Evans said, holding back tears. “I know that’s what Lilly would have wanted.”
Evans has made more than 2,000 items on her sewing machine for cancer and NICU patients. She says her husband is her biggest supporter, going fabric shopping with her for materials to make the items she donates.
A fabric fund has been posted online for contributions.
Evans hopes to inspire others to use their gifts to help others in their hours of need.