Kelson’s Curtains

Shortly before his 7^th birthday, Kelson was diagnosed with a brain tumor and our family became very frequent fliers on the 5^th floor of Atlanta’s Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital, home to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Staffed with the absolute best of the best, this floor has the best views, the best food, and the biggest rooms… with the biggest windows, to the brightest hallways. Make no mistake, the Aflac floor is incredible. And it should be, as the children in the rooms on this floor are quite literally fighting for their lives. Nevertheless, it took approximately one night in this hospital utopia to determine that we needed a solution for the gigantic windows on the doors.

Before long, we had stitched up a curtain – powered by magnets – to cover the gargantuan window that refused to let us sleep. Because every room on the floor had the same window, it fit everywhere, so after a quick wash at home, we tucked it back in Kelson’s bag for his next visit. Our colorful little curtain cheered up his room by day; by night, it greatly increased our odds of catching at least a few winks of sleep. A few months later, as a service project, we decided to stitch up a few more of our curtains and deliver them to the hospital to share with a few families… who loved them! Could we possibly make some more?

Kelson’s Curtains are made from fun, brightly colored flannel, finished with a family of magnets secured across the top to ensure they stay put all day and night. Hand-washable, they are intended for repeated use by the same family, as most children on the Aflac units are long term, repeat patients, like Kelson. With a large group of volunteer stitchers, we are able to provide curtains to both Scottish Rite and Egleston Children’s Hospitals, so that all children admitted to the Aflac units are gifted one.