Caring Hearts Pillow Project

Celebrating 10 years!

The pillow project originated in Washington D.C., and was brought over to Europe by a member of our club, first to the American Women’s club of Denmark and then was shared and adopted by the Antwerp club. In 2008, the members of the AWCA began hand stitching pillows for breast cancer patients in the province of Antwerp. It has become an intrinsic part of the club and our philanthropic outreach. With pillow parties hosted 2 times per month during the year.

Many of the women in our club have had breast cancer themselves or have family members or friends who have been diagnosed so it became our star philanthropy project, a project by women for women. Men also get breast cancer and we make special pillows for them too.

In addition to making heart shaped pillows, we have raised funds to sponsor rooms in hospitals that are made into nice reception rooms or lounges for cancer patients. It is a room which serves as an oasis from the hospital atmosphere where patients and their families can be comfortable to be able to talk with the Drs. and nurses about their prognosis. To this point we have raised funds for three rooms. The first is in St. Augustinus and is called “The Breast Lounge”, the second in UZA “A Room 4 You”, and the third lounge “Caring Hearts Room” Borstkliniek ZNA Middelheim, opened in October 2017. We are excited to announce our 4th lounge will be in collaboration with Klina hospital in Brasschaat. The women of the AWCA are very dedicated to making as many pillows a possible to be able to provide them for as many patients as possible.

Pillows are given to 9 hospitals: St Augustinus, Middelheim, University Hospital of Antwerp, Klina Braaschaat, Malle, Bonheiden and Sint Nikolaas Hospital in Sint Niklaas, University Hospital of Gent, and Jan Palfijn Hospital, Merksem.

As a club we make 500 pillows per year. We work with the Intercultureele Magneet School of Borgerhout, with the students there, in the mode curriculum over the past 3 years, they contribute up to 200 pillows per year. We have also been happy to work with the Antwerp Zorgbedrijf in the past 3 years as well. We have taken the project to several dienstencentrums. The total number of pillows with all of the efforts of volunteers is now between 800-900 pillows.

All of our work is done by volunteers and materials are donated. Pillows are never sold. This project is from the heart and we give our pillows away to help provide comfort for breast cancer patients after lymph node removal or mastectomy. The pillows lift the spirits of patients as we have received many emails from patients thanking us for the wonderful gift they received during a difficult time in their lives.

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve breast cancer patients. It reminds us that we are making a difference in the lives of women in our community.