About Us...
A Community Service Outreach created as an act of kindness for children walking through difficult medical journeys and special needs.
Founded by Memory M. Gause, a mother touched by the responsibilities of caring for a child with complex special needs.
This act of kindness is a handmade cardigan, either crocheted or knitted.
Each Care Cardigan is crafted with prayers, love, and care with the initiative to be gifted to schools, children's hospitals and clinics alike that occupy spaces of children with special needs and terminal illness.
This outreach was created in Honor of Israeleigh R. Gause (Izzie), a beautiful little girl whose life challenges were related to a rare chromosome abnormality.
Every stitch carries a simple purpose: to offer warmth, comfort, peace, and a soft snuggly hug, especially during doctor visits, hospital stays, treatments, and difficult days.
Ways to gift... Cashapp: $TheCareCardigan
Emails, Yarn Sponsorships, and Yarn Gifting: email youcare@writeme.com
If you'd like to become a Volunteer Maker... email youcare@writeme.com
Let's work together with You Were Chosen to Care™ to make all things possible through The Care Cardigan™ by volunteering some of our sweet time in an effort to provide many children with a little comfort and peace!
An interesting but TRUE FACT:
The Science of Comfort: Why Handmade Matters
Handmade items lower stress by turning a scary, sterile medical environment into a safe, healing space.
When a hospitalized or special needs child receives a handmade item like a blanket or cardigan, it triggers a powerful neurological shift from fear to security:
Soothes the Nervous System: Hospital rooms are sensory minefields filled with harsh fluorescent lights, rhythmic beeping, and unfamiliar sounds that keep a child’s fight-or-flight response constantly active. The unique, soft textures of knitted or crocheted yarn provide a comforting tactile anchor, physically grounding the child and lowering stress hormones like cortisol.
Restores a Sense of Control: In a medical setting, children lose almost all personal autonomy. They are told when to eat, when to sleep, what to wear, and when they must undergo painful procedures. Receiving a handmade item—made just for them—gives them a rare and precious sense of absolute ownership. It belongs strictly to them, not the hospital.
Provides a Physical Shield for Coping: A cardigan or blanket acts as a physical and emotional comfort object. Pediatric nursing teams note that children will tightly hug these personal items during moments of high anxiety, such as before a surgery or during a blood draw. Having a soft, weighted object to hold onto provides the physical reassurance they need to cope with pain and fear.
Ultimately, these items do more than keep a child warm. They serve as a tangible reminder that they are seen, cared for, and loved by the outside world—transforming them from a passive "medical patient" back into a celebrated child.
Become a Volunteer Maker TODAY! Email: youcare@writeme.com for more information.