Česky
On behalf of us and our patients, we thank Venus and the other ladies who have given their time, effort and money to this admirable activity.
On the following lines we offer you an interview with Mrs. Venus Rybova about the "caps" project.
How did you come up with the idea of sewing caps for cancer patients, and was the impetus a particular event?
It was purely a spontaneous idea at a time when I felt that I was not doing very well personally. I had an autistic child, my husband was ill and I was suffering from the feeling of maternal failure that every mother goes through from time to time on parental leave. So as part of my therapy, I went for a run and thought I could do something for people who are worse off than me. My sister died of lung cancer, my husband was being treated for cancer, so I knew I wanted to do something for cancer patients. And that's how the idea of the cap came about.
What happened next?
I sat down at my computer that very day and reached out to my friends to see if they wanted to be a part of this idea. At first they tapped their foreheads wondering what I had come up with before Christmas, but in the end it worked.
Who all got involved in the project?
I posted on a closed Facebook group dedicated to running. There is a very friendly atmosphere there, with runners supporting and trusting each other. Immediately, I started hearing from runners I had only known in the virtual world. They started sewing and buying materials with their own money, and because I set a deadline, I soon had a reload of hats at home.
How many women joined the project and how many hats were finally made?
I don't have an exact count, but I estimate around 14 women from all over the Czech Republic. In total, 228 hats were sewn, with the original intention of delivering 100 hats to Multiscan. I was worried about this because it seemed like a huge number. The caps kept coming and I kept counting them as I was afraid that we would not meet our personally set number. But the packages kept coming and the numbers kept growing... Then suddenly a big package arrived and suddenly there were 200. And that's when I realized we could give the gifts to two clinics.
The hats include cards from the elementary school kids.
At one of the class meetings at the Montessori school in Jablonné nad Orlicí, where my children attend, I agreed with the teacher that the children would draw the cards for us. There is not only a message for the patients, but also the signature and age of the little artist. Next, the children of the runners drew and sewed. When I saw the cards for the first time, I was touched.
Why did you donate the hats to our center?
I have two reasons. It is the closest to Pardubice from the Orlické Mountains, where I come from, and secondly, my husband was treated in Multiscan and was very happy here.
What are your plans for the future? Are there any other projects in the pipeline?
I'm a dreamer and I don't keep my head down, so I have a lot of plans. My husband, on the other hand, is rational, so he pulls me back down from heaven to earth, which is sometimes a good thing. However, having managed to sew so many hats, I thought it would be nice to cover more clinics and send a greeting through them from outside people who, although healthy, are still very sympathetic to the sick. I would like the aim of the caps to be to give cancer patients more strength and hope and a boost to their fight. I have a lot of respect for people who are going through this disease and whose fate has thrown this at their feet, and yet they have not given up and are fighting. I think they deserve a small gift, like the caps. We'll see if it works out.
So focusing on cancer patients again?
Yes, the adult ones. I feel like a lot is being done for pediatric patients, and it's very good. But I've been thinking that the adults need support too, because often times they're perhaps more aware than the children of what they're going through, what's ahead of them, and they have a lot of black thoughts.
Was sewing hats a valve or more of a commitment?
I think it's connected. Sewing the caps was about a tangible thing, something that is here and now. So it was a valve for me. But it was also a huge commitment. A commitment to the people involved, to meet their expectations and to be able to appreciate them. I have a lot of respect for them because they invested time, energy and money into it, and I'm sure all the hats were made with love.
You have four children, a sick son and a cancer-stricken husband, do you have time to rest?
Time spent running are my stolen moments when I can just be with myself. I like to say that I run like a girl, meaning that sometimes I run like a little fussy girl, other times I might cry while doing it and let all my emotions out. Running is a catalyst for all of that, and then when I get home, I don't see things as black anymore. I also see it as an advantage that I live almost in a secluded place. I get energized just looking at nature, seeing the forests, the hills, the sunrise, the mist on the hills, that in itself is healing and gives you strength.
More about Venus Rybová and her projects can be found at http://www.venusinsvet.cz/
