Teens help breast cancer patients

Vernon — The 29 members of the confirmation class at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Vernon have been busy. For a recent service project, the teenagers made Anti-Ouch Pouches, following the model created by a breast cancer survivor. The hand-sewn pillows are designed to help take some of the pain and stress out of moving after surgery. They can be used by women recovering from a mastectomy to cushion the healing body. These are light-weight pouches made to pad the breast and underarm area after surgery or during radiation treatment. The group settled on this project this fall, after searching for a service project to fulfill the requirements for the sacrament Stewardship in action. Several of the confirmation candidates have relatives who are breast cancer survivors and one was among those to receive a pouch made by the group. The candidates learned how helpful these pillows are, and how they were in great demand. The Anti-Ouch Pouch project was undertaken along with the guidance of Ann Alfaro of the Tri-State Stitchers. The teens and their parents met on three Sunday afternoons to make the pillows. Upon completion this past Sunday, 125 pillows were presented to Nina Sullivan, R.N., of the Sparta Cancer Center and the Sussex County Breast Support Group to be distributed to Sussex County Breast Cancer patients. — Colleen Carney