(Media release from Harbin Clinic):
Last July, Holly Avidan’s world stopped when a surgical biopsy on her lymph node revealed she had stage three follicular lymphoma. She began seeing Harbin Clinic Oncologist Dr. Gregory Harris at the Cancer Center. To keep her spirits up, she also started crocheting hats. What Holly didn’t expect was for her therapeutic crochet work to create a ripple of joy for other cancer patients. This month, Harbin Clinic celebrates Holly’s remission almost a year after her first chemotherapy treatment while also highlighting the extraordinary way Holly brightened the lives of others.
To call Holly’s creations merely hats does not do them justice. Holly crochets fantastic costumes that often cover a person’s head, neck and shoulders. Originally, when Holly learned she would lose her hair, she planned to find a wig. But when her hair began to come out, she was exhausted and had not bought a wig. So, she quickly turned to working on a crocheted hat instead to keep herself calm and to boost her mood.
At her next treatment, she proudly donned her first hat, a witch’s hat for October, and the waiting room loved it.
“When you walk into a cancer center, you are faced with people who are tired and not happy to be there,” Holly says. “But walking in with my hat on, the room lit up with smiles. It made me feel good to bring joy to someone else’s life, and I thought I better make a hat for every chemotherapy treatment from here on out.”
Holly had 21 days between treatments, and although she was not feeling great, she would work on a new design. People selling crochet patterns online even began sending her free designs. Her work ranged in size and theme including a flamingo, a chicken, a piranha plant from Nintendo, and more.
“When I found out I had cancer, I was devastated,” Holly remembers. “The future was uncertain, and chemo sounded terrible. But if I sat there dwelling on it, I wasn’t going to feel good. But if you have something to do that you love, things won’t bother you as much. I encourage others with similar diagnoses to keep your mind busy.”
Once Holly’s hats were making regular appearances, she would arrive early to chat with people in the waiting room.
“I circled Holly’s appointment on my calendar, knowing that she would energize the clinic. The staff could not wait to see her. Her art always made my day. She stayed positive throughout her treatment, and it made such a difference. Cancer is a physical and emotional challenge. I always tell patients to stay active, eat as clean as possible, and stay positive, and they will do better. She exemplified that every week,” says Dr. Gregory Harris.
“It was a difficult season,” admits Holly, “but I had the best experience with the Harbin Clinic Cancer Center. The nurses and doctors are great listeners and answer questions at all hours. I’ll never forget how proud I was when the nurses told me they were happy I was getting better, but they would miss me and the hats.”
Hats off to Holly Avidan this September for sharing her passion with other cancer patients over the past year.
