THE PICTURE is a familiar one to anyone who has children. A baby lies in a small crib, tightly swaddled in cozy hospital blankets, with a soft knit cap adorning its head. It’s usually the first picture taken of a little boy or girl before they go home.
For babies born at the birthing center at Virginia Baptist Hospital, that knit hat likely came from the loving hands of retired nurse Barbara Jahn. Jahn has been knitting thousands of soft, lightly colored hats for the infants at Virginia Baptist for 12 years. Over 6,500 babies have received her precious gift so far.
Jahn’s story began many years ago in the area of Albany, New York, where she grew up. She said that ever since she was 4 years old, she wanted to be a nurse. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the nursing program at the Albany Medical Center and launched her career from there. She worked mainly in critical care units such as coronary care and medical-surgical. Jahn also met her husband, Rudy, in New York. He worked as a firefighter and served for an ambulance company.
Jahn summed up her nursing career in three compelling words: “I loved it.” While nursing was Jahn’s career path, she pointed out that she’s always been crafty. “I sew, I knit, I crochet, I do photography, [and] I used to quilt.”
It’s the combination of nursing and knitting that brought an opportunity into Jahn’s life to give back. Jahn’s daughter, Theresa Bemis, has been a registered nurse at the birthing center for 16 years. Initially, Bemis did not want to pursue her mother’s career choice like many people thought she would. However, Jahn said that during one of Bemis’ college classes, she observed a baby delivery at an Albany hospital. From that point on, Bemis noted that she was hooked and had become a nurse herself.
While some hats were available for infants at Virginia Baptist, Bemis said the need kept growing. When Bemis asked her mother if she would begin knitting hats for the babies, Jahn wasted no time in responding.
“She saw a need that she could help out with, so she just jumped right in,” Bemis explained. “She takes such pride in them.”
Jahn agreed, “It’s my give-back project.”
Jahn attempted to crochet the hats, but that didn’t work out. She switched to knitting and never looked back. Her hats are colored in traditional baby blue and pink, as well as teal, purple, and some mixed pastels. The response from both the nurses and the patients at the hospital was electrifying.
Bemis explained that the nurses “love them. Every time I’ve brought them in, there’s always a crowd around the bag of hats, picking out which ones they want to give to their patients.”
She added, “It’s like someone brings in a bag of candy for them.”
Jahn replied with a smile that while she and Bemis share a love for nursing, her daughter “does not have a bone” of crafting in her.
The hospital’s patient response and appreciation for Jahn’s special gift have also been very sweet.
“They just love ‘em,” Bemis exclaimed. “A lot of them say, ‘These are something that I’ll keep forever,’ or, ‘I’ll put it away for when they’re grown or maybe for their children.’”
Jahn said that some of the mothers asked to have their picture taken with their baby in one of her hats and then sent the photo to her as a “thank you” gift. Twelve years of knitting hats might seem like a tall task for most of us, but Jahn pointed out that the process came with several perks.
“It’s a great project that I can pick up and put down. It’s great for long car rides, [or] for sitting in front of the TV,” she said.
Jahn noted that she had to take a few steps back from knitting as often in the past six months. Her dear Rudy passed away in December, so the hats sometimes had to wait. Jahn said that since she has yarn all over the house, Rudy often helped her roll the yarn for her hat projects.
Whether she’s producing a lot of hats or a few, Jahn has kept her initial reason for starting the project in sight.
“It makes me feel very good to do something for the community.”
The infants who received the precious hats are glad she did. GN
