Proud to be from Pittsburgh: ‘Wrapped In Love'

PITTSBURGH — The warmth of a blanket is a gift wrapped in love to cancer patients at UPMC’s Hillman Cancer Center.

Channel 11 stopped by there one day and saw that medical students and staff members, who usually handle vials and charts, were instead up to their elbows in colorful, cozy fabric.

Snipping and then knotting the cloth, they turned them into warm blankets that would comfort patients during chemotherapy.

“One simple act of kindness can mean so much to one who is going through so much,” said one worker.

“Our patients inspire us every day and it’s a way to give back to them,” said another.

Darvina Emmerich started making blankets in 2011 in memory of her husband who was always cold during chemotherapy.

“So I always promised God at that time, if there was something I could do, that I would like to be able to comfort others and comfort them,” said Emmerich.

Over the past three years an estimated 5,000 blankets have been made by volunteers and distributed to patients in 20 local hospitals.

Emmerich calls her project "Wrapped in Love."

“It really is a love project and what we give, we get so much more back from them,” she said.

After making the blankets, the group delivered them to patients like Frank Reagan Nerone.

“I can’t say enough what everyone has done out here for me. This is like a second home now,” he said.

Wrapped in Love welcomes all types of new handmade blankets to donate. To learn more about the organization or to donate, CLICK HERE.

WPXI