The Amanda Project

There is an entry I've been meaning to write for some time now.  It's regarding the Amanda-project, but with a young daughter it's hard to spend a serious amount of time in front of the computer, and I want to get this one right!

Little Teddy and big Teddy checking out knitted-heart blanky

As everyone knows in this digital day and age, one is of the habit of getting in touch with old friends and acquaintances and in many ways, this is a good thing. When I was pregnant with Embla, several of my old friends were pregnant at the same time (could this have something to do with the magic number 35?). Of course, I paid especially attention to all my pregnant friends facebook entries. And for quite some time, everything seemed to go really well with everyone!

Miniature blanky

When I was about 4-5 months pregnant, one of my friends from way back when had her baby. For a long time it was quiet, too quiet. A few weeks later the bad news came. Bjørgs daughter Amanda, was carried to term, but only lived to be 10 days old.

Another heart for a tiny one

And honestly, I did not know what to say or what to do. So I did nothing. What can you possibly say to someone who has lost their new baby?

After a while we got the message that Bjørg and her husband were starting a project. The Amanda Project!

When they were in the hospital they asked is there anything we can do, anything at all? And there was, knit a blanket, a hat, some booties and mittens. Wool is the best thing for keeping baby warm. And if you could, please knit a bag full, we are in need...

This was from the National Hospital in Norway (Rikshospitalet). They used to have an older woman who would knit for them now and then, and they had a few items that went from baby to baby, all worn and torn.

Little Amanda had an old cloth diaper on her head to help keep her warm... So her Granny knit for her, and for the others. After a while, they created a facebook group and invited people to help then make blankets and itty-bitty baby clothes, and I was lucky enough to be invited. Finally there was something I could do. I still wasn't able to say anything to Bjørg, but at least I could make a few blankys!

Legg til bildetekst

I gave birth to Embla at the same hospital as where Amanda died. When I was there in labor, I dropped off a bag of little blankets. We had our own troubles when Embla was born, but at least she was healthy and well. No one ever thinks things will go wrong with mummy, but it happens...

After a few weeks, I managed to tell Bjørg that I had made some blankets and had handed them over to some nurses who were overjoyed. Finally, in some small way I had been able to convey my sympathies and condolences. And it was appriciated!

Christmas colors

This project sparked a lot of interest in Norway, as there hasn't been any project like it before. One of Norways larges newspapers, Aftenposten had an article about the project in their weekend magazine. The article is in norwegian, but there is a nice picture of Embla and me at the bottom. The journalist who wrote the article wanted to embed in the article how someone had started knitting for the project. Bjørg asked me personally (among a few others), if I was interested in talking to the journalist. Of course I was happy to do so, and she chose to put our story with Bjørgs as it was a happy one (considering the circumstances).

The article sparked a massive interest in the project. People form all over the country started knitting for  tiny babies and sick newborns. The project has now really grown and now mini-blankets are not only deliverd to The National Hospital, but to several others which have special baby care units. I'm so impressed with Bjørg and her husband who through their grief, managed to do something so positive for so many little babies.

On a closing note, not long after Embla was born, my best childhood friend had a cesarian, and her little son came into the world, after only 31 one weeks. Luckily everything went well!
This summer her sister had a daughter, after only 27+ weeks. But also she is a survivor, AND she received an Amanda-project blanket =)
There have also been others and luckily all have gone well with the ones I know and care about!

So if you like to knit, have some spare yarn (and time), You know what to do =)