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Home » » Schoharie Family Donates Little Red Hats to Area Hospitals for American Heart Month

Schoharie Family Donates Little Red Hats to Area Hospitals for American Heart Month

Written By Editor on 1/28/17 | 1/28/17

Newborns throughout the Capital Region – and nationwide -- will

sport little red hats throughout February, which is American Heart Month, thanks to the

generosity of people who knit and crochet.


On Friday, Jan. 27, AT 10:30 a.m. at Camp Amedore in the Bernard & Millie Duker

Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center, D-7, two Cardiac Kids – children born

with congenital heart defects – presented handmade hats to representatives from area

hospitals to share with the babies born in February.

From left, Everett Stewart, Theresa Stewart, Dr. Sulagna Mookherjee and Preston Stewart presented handmade red hats to area hospitals during a ceremony at Albany Medical Center on Friday, Jan. 27. Preston, of Schoharie, was born with four congenital heart defects and helped present the hats as part of the American Heart Association’s Little Hats Big Hearts program. More than 40 volunteers knitted or crocheted nearly 1,000 little red hats to donate to hospital nurseries for newborns to wear during February, American Heart Month. Photo courtesy of Albany Medical Center.


Ryan Galvin is 5, and the Heart Hero of the 2017 Capital Region Heart Run & Walk.

He was born with two congenital heart defects.


Preston Stewart is 3, was the Heart Hero of the 2013 North Country Heart Walk, and

was born with four congenital heart defects.


Ryan and Preston presented hats to representatives from local hospitals on Friday

morning. About 40 volunteers donated more than 1,000 hats to the American

Heart Association’s Little Hats Big Hearts program, which raises awareness about

congenital heart defects. 1 in 100 children are born with a congenital heart defect.

Preston’s grandmother Lynn Stewart was one of the women who knit the little red

hats, in Preston’s honor. Stewart was part of a group that gathered at The Spinning

Room in Altamont to make hats. Kathy Loegering, co-owner of The Spinning

Room, also made hats in honor of her grandson Luke, another child born with a

congenital heart defect.

Stewart and Loegering were present when Ryan and Preston donated the little

red hats to the hospitals.


“When my daughter sent me the information and the call to knit little red hats for the

AHA, I knew this was a charity knit I could get behind,” Loegering said. “Our

grandson Luke, born with congenital heart issues, is very dear to our family. When he

needed surgery as an infant, we were concerned and worried. Happily, he is thriving

as he continues to grow with his twin brother Ben. We are truly thankful for the

excellent care at Albany Medical Center and are honored to have participated in this

program with other knitters from the Spinning Room to make red hats to support heart

health.”


“When my mother-in- law told me she was knitting hats in Preston’s honor, I felt so

grateful for the support and help in raising awareness for congenital heart defects,”

said Theresa Stewart, Preston’s mother. “It’s also very touching to see how many

people made these hats to help honor children like Preston. Preston has faced

many challenges, and more lie ahead, but the support that we receive is overwhelming

and very much appreciated.”


“The Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center is proud to

work with the American Heart Association on its ‘Little Hats, Big Hearts’ campaign to

raise awareness about congenital heart defects,” said Michael J. Horgan, M.D.,

Head, Division of Neonatology at Albany Medical Center. “In recognition of

American Heart Month this February, our newborns wearing these little red hats will

serve as tiny reminders on the importance of heart health and preventing congenital

heart defects.”


“Ryan was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect even before he was born.

Through the research the American Heart Association has funded over the years,

Ryan's doctors have the expertise to have been able to provide an early diagnosis that

has helped Ryan to manage his congenital heart defect,” said Bill Galvin, Ryan’s

father. “His pediatric cardiologist continues to monitor him and address some issues

that have occurred. Ryan and his journey with CHD are why we raise awareness

about congenital heart defects. The Little Hats, Big Hearts program is one way the

Heart Association is bringing awareness of congenital heart defects to all parents right

in the hospital when babies are born. Today, we are honored to have Ryan present

theses red hats to the nurseries of local hospitals.”


The American Heart Association received nearly 1,000 hats from about 20 volunteers

this year. Some came with their own stories. Jane Hamilton Canale of Schenectady

made them in honor of her brother Bruce, a law enforcement officer from Washington

County, who died suddenly of a heart attack. A group called the Crochet Snobs

provided hats, as did a knitting group at Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte CPAs, P.C.

Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital, Bellevue Woman’s Hospital, Burdett Birth

Center, Columbia Memorial Health’s Birth Place, Saratoga Hospital and Adirondack

Health all received hats from Preston and Ryan today.


About the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association

The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving

people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team

with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies,

and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-

based American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization

dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division

of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800- AHA-USA1,

visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Albany Medical Center

Albany Medical Center, northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center, is one

of the largest private employers in the Capital Region. It incorporates the 734-bed Albany

Medical Center Hospital, which offers the widest range of medical and surgical services in the

region, and the Albany Medical College, which trains the next generation of doctors, scientists

and other health care professionals, and includes a biomedical research enterprise and the

region’s largest physician practice with more than 450 doctors. Albany Medical Center works

with dozens of community partners to improve the region’s health and quality of life. For

more information: www.amc.edu or www.facebook.com/albanymedicalcenter.

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