Kyle’s Quillows Wins Service Grant from Disney and Youth Service America
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 20, 2012
MEDIA ADVISORY
“SEW COOL!”
Kyle’s Quillows Hosts Sewing and Fundraising Events with Disney and Youth Service America Grant
WHAT: Kyle’s Quillows, a newly launched non-profit organization, which hand sews “quillows” for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other young patients at regional hospitals in and around Philadelphia, will host two sewing and fundraising events on Global Youth Service Day being held Sunday, April 22 from 12pm – 4pm. These events were planned with a grant won from Disney and Youth Service America (YSA) by Kyle’s Quillows founder, Kyle Malmstrom .
Kyle, a 12 year-old boy from Spring City, PA, was diagnosed in August 2011 with severe aplastic anemia, which required a bone marrow transplant from his identical twin brother, Andrew – a first of its kind surgery at CHOP. Spending a month in the hospital opened Kyle’s eyes to the need for patients to have items that brought comfort and made them feel at home. And “quillows” met that need perfectly.
“A quillow is a cross between a blanket and a pillow and every quillow we sew has a hidden ‘A’ in it to honor my brother Andrew,” said Kyle Malmstrom, founder of Kyle’s Quillows. “These quillows made me comfortable and feel a little better when I was in the hospital. I want to help share that feeling with other sick kids. We delivered our first quillows to CHOP in January and the response was awesome. We have now made over 125 quillows and with each one, we sew strength, kourage and hope into every stitch.”
WHO: Kyle and Andrew Malmstrom with the Kyle’s Quillows Team
Kyle and Andrew will be at Pottstown from 12-1:30 pm and King of Prussia from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Tim Hennessey, State Representative from the 26th Legislative District and Jane Peronteau, Vice Chairwoman of East Vincent Township will be at the Pottstown location at 12:30 pm
WHEN: Sunday, April 22, 2012; 12pm – 4pm (at both locations)
WHERE: Steve’s Sewing Pottstown Sewing
268 W Dekalb Pike 142 Shoemaker Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406 Pottstown, PA 19464
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2012
Bringing Hope and “Komfort” to Children Battling Life Threatening Illnesses,
Kyle’s Quillows Wins Service Grant from Disney and Youth Service America
Inspired by his own battle with severe aplastic anemia and his time spent recovering from a recent bone marrow transplant, 12 year old Kyle Malmstrom has launched a non-profit to provide “quillows” to patients – just like him – in an effort to bring comfort, strength and friendship during their illnesses.
(Spring City PA, April 11, 2011)— Kyle’s Quillows, a newly launched non-profit organization, which hand sews “quillows” for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other young patients at regional hospitals in and around Philadelphia, proudly announces that its founder, Kyle Malmstrom, has been awarded a Service Grant from Disney and Youth Service America (YSA) to be used for a special event on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
Kyle, a 12 year-old boy from Spring City, PA, was diagnosed in August 2011 with severe aplastic anemia, which is a bone marrow failure disease that strikes only two in one million individuals. Requiring a bone marrow transplant, Kyle and his brother, Andrew, learned that they were not only twins but identical twins. With Andrew a perfect match, Kyle received the second-ever identical twin bone marrow transplant – and the first identical twin transplant to treat severe aplastic anemia – at CHOP.
Spending a month in the hospital opened Kyle’s eyes to the need for patients to have items that brought comfort and made them feel at home. And “quillows” met that need perfectly.
“A quillow is a cross between a blanket and a pillow,” said Kyle Malmstrom, founder of Kyle’s Quillows. “I always had two on my bed while at CHOP and used one for a pillow and one for a blanket. They were so soft and warm! They made me comfortable and I felt a little better. I want to help share that feeling with other sick kids. My brother and I recently learned how to sew and the first thing I wanted to make was a quillow. Andrew and I were able to deliver our first quillows to CHOP in January and the response was awesome. Andrew has been a great brother and involved with the quillows since the beginning. He was my lifesaver and that’s why we sew a hidden “A” into each blanket to honor him. We have now made 119 quillows [as of April 10] and with every one, we sew strength, courage and hope into every stitch.”
With the grant from Disney and YSA, Kyle’s Quillows will host events at Steve’s Sewing (King of Prussia, PA) and Pottstown Sewing (Pottstown, PA) on Sunday April 22nd from 12 pm to 4 pm. As part of Global Youth Service Day, these locations will host sewing lessons, function as drop off points for quillows that have already been sewn and collect fleece and monetary donations. It costs $10 to create one quillow and each blanket requires 2 yards of fleece. Kyle hopes to attend each event for a short time if his ongoing recovery allows. However, his family – led by his siblings Andrew (12) and Abbey (9) – will be at each location.
“Congratulations and thanks to the young people of Kyle’s Quillows for addressing an important community issue,” said Steve Culbertson, YSA president and CEO. “Young people are uniquely positioned to come up with new and innovative ways to improve their communities. On Global Youth Service Day, the world stands in awe as we see what’s possible when kids take the lead as problem-solvers.”
“I am very excited and grateful to have my project be recognized by Disney and YSA and I can’t wait to grow it,” said Kyle. “It’s so cool to be part of Global Youth Service Day and I know that we can make a real difference in the lives of kids, just like me, with Kyle’s Quillows.”
Since his transplant last fall, Kyle has been isolated at home. Today, April 11th he returned to school and his 6th grade class room. For more information about Kyle’s Quillows and to learn how you can support Kyle’s special initiative, whether by sewing or donating, visit www.facebook.com/kylesquillows or http://kylesquillows.weebly.com.
ABOUT KYLE’S QUILLOWS
You never can prepare for when a diagnosis happens. Kyle Malmstrom and his family were not prepared for his sudden illness, but now intimately understand the special needs of pediatric patients. His goal, which is the driving force of Kyle's Quillows, is to help children in hospitals across the United States by providing them an important source of comfort - one “quillow” at a time. By making home-sewn quillows (a cross between a pillow and blanket), Kyle’s Quillows aims to brighten and cheer children facing a variety of medical crises. For children experiencing a life-changing illness, these soft, warm fleece quillows serve as a reminder that so many are cheering their recovery – even those they don’t know. Kyle’s Quillows ensures that each quillow is made by someone who will sew strength, courage and hope into every stitch.
ABOUT GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICES DAY
Now in its 24th year, Global Youth Service Day is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of young people in more than 100 countries, and recognizes the positive impact that young people have on their communities 365 days a year. Through youth-led service initiatives, young people address critical issues such as hunger and homelessness, childhood obesity, and environmental well-being. GYSD is a program of YSA (Youth Service America), which coordinates the event and offers grants, programs, and resources to assist in planning meaningful service-learning projects that improve the lives of young people and communities. YSA’s signature event, Global Youth Service Day, is the largest and longest running service event in the world, and takes place in more than 100 countries on six continents April 20 to 22, 2012.
DATE: April 20, 2012
MEDIA ADVISORY
“SEW COOL!”
Kyle’s Quillows Hosts Sewing and Fundraising Events with Disney and Youth Service America Grant
WHAT: Kyle’s Quillows, a newly launched non-profit organization, which hand sews “quillows” for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other young patients at regional hospitals in and around Philadelphia, will host two sewing and fundraising events on Global Youth Service Day being held Sunday, April 22 from 12pm – 4pm. These events were planned with a grant won from Disney and Youth Service America (YSA) by Kyle’s Quillows founder, Kyle Malmstrom .
Kyle, a 12 year-old boy from Spring City, PA, was diagnosed in August 2011 with severe aplastic anemia, which required a bone marrow transplant from his identical twin brother, Andrew – a first of its kind surgery at CHOP. Spending a month in the hospital opened Kyle’s eyes to the need for patients to have items that brought comfort and made them feel at home. And “quillows” met that need perfectly.
“A quillow is a cross between a blanket and a pillow and every quillow we sew has a hidden ‘A’ in it to honor my brother Andrew,” said Kyle Malmstrom, founder of Kyle’s Quillows. “These quillows made me comfortable and feel a little better when I was in the hospital. I want to help share that feeling with other sick kids. We delivered our first quillows to CHOP in January and the response was awesome. We have now made over 125 quillows and with each one, we sew strength, kourage and hope into every stitch.”
WHO: Kyle and Andrew Malmstrom with the Kyle’s Quillows Team
Kyle and Andrew will be at Pottstown from 12-1:30 pm and King of Prussia from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Tim Hennessey, State Representative from the 26th Legislative District and Jane Peronteau, Vice Chairwoman of East Vincent Township will be at the Pottstown location at 12:30 pm
WHEN: Sunday, April 22, 2012; 12pm – 4pm (at both locations)
WHERE: Steve’s Sewing Pottstown Sewing
268 W Dekalb Pike 142 Shoemaker Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406 Pottstown, PA 19464
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2012
Bringing Hope and “Komfort” to Children Battling Life Threatening Illnesses,
Kyle’s Quillows Wins Service Grant from Disney and Youth Service America
Inspired by his own battle with severe aplastic anemia and his time spent recovering from a recent bone marrow transplant, 12 year old Kyle Malmstrom has launched a non-profit to provide “quillows” to patients – just like him – in an effort to bring comfort, strength and friendship during their illnesses.
(Spring City PA, April 11, 2011)— Kyle’s Quillows, a newly launched non-profit organization, which hand sews “quillows” for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other young patients at regional hospitals in and around Philadelphia, proudly announces that its founder, Kyle Malmstrom, has been awarded a Service Grant from Disney and Youth Service America (YSA) to be used for a special event on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
Kyle, a 12 year-old boy from Spring City, PA, was diagnosed in August 2011 with severe aplastic anemia, which is a bone marrow failure disease that strikes only two in one million individuals. Requiring a bone marrow transplant, Kyle and his brother, Andrew, learned that they were not only twins but identical twins. With Andrew a perfect match, Kyle received the second-ever identical twin bone marrow transplant – and the first identical twin transplant to treat severe aplastic anemia – at CHOP.
Spending a month in the hospital opened Kyle’s eyes to the need for patients to have items that brought comfort and made them feel at home. And “quillows” met that need perfectly.
“A quillow is a cross between a blanket and a pillow,” said Kyle Malmstrom, founder of Kyle’s Quillows. “I always had two on my bed while at CHOP and used one for a pillow and one for a blanket. They were so soft and warm! They made me comfortable and I felt a little better. I want to help share that feeling with other sick kids. My brother and I recently learned how to sew and the first thing I wanted to make was a quillow. Andrew and I were able to deliver our first quillows to CHOP in January and the response was awesome. Andrew has been a great brother and involved with the quillows since the beginning. He was my lifesaver and that’s why we sew a hidden “A” into each blanket to honor him. We have now made 119 quillows [as of April 10] and with every one, we sew strength, courage and hope into every stitch.”
With the grant from Disney and YSA, Kyle’s Quillows will host events at Steve’s Sewing (King of Prussia, PA) and Pottstown Sewing (Pottstown, PA) on Sunday April 22nd from 12 pm to 4 pm. As part of Global Youth Service Day, these locations will host sewing lessons, function as drop off points for quillows that have already been sewn and collect fleece and monetary donations. It costs $10 to create one quillow and each blanket requires 2 yards of fleece. Kyle hopes to attend each event for a short time if his ongoing recovery allows. However, his family – led by his siblings Andrew (12) and Abbey (9) – will be at each location.
“Congratulations and thanks to the young people of Kyle’s Quillows for addressing an important community issue,” said Steve Culbertson, YSA president and CEO. “Young people are uniquely positioned to come up with new and innovative ways to improve their communities. On Global Youth Service Day, the world stands in awe as we see what’s possible when kids take the lead as problem-solvers.”
“I am very excited and grateful to have my project be recognized by Disney and YSA and I can’t wait to grow it,” said Kyle. “It’s so cool to be part of Global Youth Service Day and I know that we can make a real difference in the lives of kids, just like me, with Kyle’s Quillows.”
Since his transplant last fall, Kyle has been isolated at home. Today, April 11th he returned to school and his 6th grade class room. For more information about Kyle’s Quillows and to learn how you can support Kyle’s special initiative, whether by sewing or donating, visit www.facebook.com/kylesquillows or http://kylesquillows.weebly.com.
ABOUT KYLE’S QUILLOWS
You never can prepare for when a diagnosis happens. Kyle Malmstrom and his family were not prepared for his sudden illness, but now intimately understand the special needs of pediatric patients. His goal, which is the driving force of Kyle's Quillows, is to help children in hospitals across the United States by providing them an important source of comfort - one “quillow” at a time. By making home-sewn quillows (a cross between a pillow and blanket), Kyle’s Quillows aims to brighten and cheer children facing a variety of medical crises. For children experiencing a life-changing illness, these soft, warm fleece quillows serve as a reminder that so many are cheering their recovery – even those they don’t know. Kyle’s Quillows ensures that each quillow is made by someone who will sew strength, courage and hope into every stitch.
ABOUT GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICES DAY
Now in its 24th year, Global Youth Service Day is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of young people in more than 100 countries, and recognizes the positive impact that young people have on their communities 365 days a year. Through youth-led service initiatives, young people address critical issues such as hunger and homelessness, childhood obesity, and environmental well-being. GYSD is a program of YSA (Youth Service America), which coordinates the event and offers grants, programs, and resources to assist in planning meaningful service-learning projects that improve the lives of young people and communities. YSA’s signature event, Global Youth Service Day, is the largest and longest running service event in the world, and takes place in more than 100 countries on six continents April 20 to 22, 2012.