Natalie's Knitting Challenge

This summer, we asked our community to join us in making 15-year-old Natalie’s wish come true by knitting hats for teens and using #KnittingwithNatalie to share the challenge on social media.

Natalie’s wish was inspired by her experience battling lymphoma at a young age. As she faced a tough series of uncomfortable and painful treatments, Natalie found comfort in two things: the caring staff at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and knitting, a hobby she picked up to pass the time.

When she learned that she qualified for a wish, she made the generous choice to use hers to give back. Not only did she make a donation to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, she also launched her knitting challenge to raise awareness about the hospital’s Social Services Fund, which helps support children and their families as they navigate life changes associated with hospitalization or a medical condition. Natalie wanted to make sure that more kids received the kind of loving care she benefitted from while in treatment.

"I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for helping people," she said about her wish. “I want to be that sunshine in someone’s life during a tough time—just like the doctors and nurses are for me.”

We asked, and our generous Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area community delivered, to an amazing extent! Together, knitters from across the greater Bay Area (and even beyond) created and sent in more than 800 hats for Natalie’s challenge, along with heartfelt cards and letters for Natalie. The hats will be donated to the Teen Health Van, a service within Lucile Packard that provides expert care for the community’s high-risk kids and young adults.  

Natalie was thrilled with all the community participation and the success of her challenge. “I want to thank everyone who participated in my knitting challenge last month,” she says. “It was incredible seeing all the photos of your hats. I know that everyone at Lucile Packard will appreciate all your support!”

“Natalie, we’re so grateful that you would choose this as your wish,” says Caitlin Burns, Community Relations Associate at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. “You’re just so compassionate and we’re so lucky that you would want to give back as part of your wish, so thank you!”