For the past decade, Carla Fasold has knitted blankets and other items to bring warmth and comfort to vulnerable babies.
To acknowledge her tremendous effort over the past decade, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital recently presented her with a certificate of gratitude.
“You have wrapped our tiniest patients in love,” the certificate reads.
Motivated by a desire to help those less fortunate, the Tarentaal retirement village resident spends around five hours a day knitting. She mainly knits blankets, as well as a few jerseys and sensory blankets.
Carla also self-funds the wool, spending around R1 500 every two months.
Her mother taught her to knit and crochet when she was just nine years old.
Carla moved to Tarentaal in 2017. The following year, her son-in-law, who was the specialist in charge of the paediatric unit at the hospital, brought the plight of its tiny patients to her attention. Many of the babies come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and their families need all the help they can get in caring for them.
“Knitting helps to keep my brain stimulated and fends off boredom. But more than that, there is the reward of knowing a baby is going to feel some warmth because of a blanket that I knit.”
Being shown around the neonatal unit is a memory Carla says she will never forget. Seeing the tiny babies who would receive her blankets gave even greater meaning to her work and strengthened her determination to continue.
Carla believes it is important for people to find activities that bring them joy and a sense of purpose. For her, knitting for vulnerable babies provides both, while also allowing her to make a practical difference in the lives of others.
She encourages her fellow Tarentaal residents to consider becoming involved in causes or outreach projects that are meaningful to them.
