Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - 3

COMMUNITY BRIEFS BY ELISE SIMS

A VERY SPECIAL
DELIVERY
Knitted hats, warm heads ... and hearts
Toting a bag of ruby-red
knitted hats, Munster
resident Mary Kerekes
recently made a special delivery to the
Family Birthing Centers at the hospitals
of Community Healthcare System.
Since she started knitting, Mary
has made more than 850 tiny hats,
each stitched with love, and delivered them to the moms and babies
at Community Hospital in Munster,
St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago
and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart.
Mary says she finds great joy in
giving, particularly to the hospitals'
youngest patients.
"I love babies," Mary says. "I have
seven of my own!"
Mary's big family has grown even
bigger over the years. Besides the seven
children (six girls and one boy) she
raised in Whiting with her late husband,
William, she now has five grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.
During the '80s, Mary moved to
Virginia to be closer to her children, and
that is when she learned how to knit.
"I was friends with the owner of a
yarn shop, and she taught me how to
knit," Kerekes recalls. "We were surrounded by yarn. I learned how to make
a sweater and other beautiful things.
From then on, I was always making
something. I would sit in a rocker and
knit on the front porch of my daughter's
house. I really enjoy knitting because it's
something that you can do whenever

Mom Marley Teibel
holds newborn son
Teddy while Mary
Kerekes places a
tiny red hat on his
head to welcome
him to the world.

Mary Kerekes (front, center) at the
St. Catherine Hospital Family Birthing
Center. With Mary are (from left) Nanette
Mata, director of recreation, Hartsfield
Village; Tracy Sharp, nurse manager;
Linda Tuthill, RN; Valen Ramirez, RN;
Ceneca Ramos, RN; and Sue Hynek,
wellness coordinator, Hartsfield Village.

you happen to have time, and it's
very relaxing."
Now 89, Mary loves living at Hartsfield
Village in Munster, a Continuing Care
Retirement Community that is part of
the Community Healthcare System. She
continues to knit the soft, handmade
wool caps.
"I am blessed to be living in such a
beautiful community and to have the
opportunity to deliver the hats in person to our hospitals," Kerekes says.
"The biggest joy for me is seeing how
happy each little baby's parents are
when they're given a cute hat before
they've even left the hospital." ■

Dad Marc Garza holds his son,
Atticus, while Mary Kerekes places
a red hat on baby Sawyer, who is
sleeping in mom Kelly's arms.

FAL L 20 17

3



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare

Contents
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - Contents
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - 2
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - 3
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - 4
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - 5
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Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover3
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover4
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