Knitters rally on ‘Danny Day’

Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, January 5, 2005

Donations help a young islander confronted with leukemia.

Local knitters and crocheters knit up the sleeve of care at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas on New Year’s Eve for islander Danny Connelly.

The shop held “Danny Day” last Friday to lend support to longtime staff member, Kathy Connelly, whose son, a fourth-grader at Ordway, who is battling leukemia at Children’s Hospital in Seattle.

The aggressive treatment needed wipes out the patient’s immune system thus requiring six months isolation at the hospital during the treatment.

Kathy is on leave from the shop so that she and her husband Rob can commute daily to take turns staying with Danny, while also caring for Danny’s 11-year-old brother Will at home on Bainbridge.

“We miss her (Kathy) so much,” said Kit Hutchins, owner of Churchmouse. “It’s not the same without her. We’ll be glad to have Danny and her back.”

An anonymous donor, who suggested the Danny Day event, matched Churchmouse’s pledge of 10 percent of the day’s sales. Other donations were also collected that day.

Donations are going into the Danny Connelly Fund, which has been set up at the local branch of Washington Mutual.

Hutchins says the store had record-breaking receipts for a non-sale day.

Including all donations, over $2,000 was raised along with many ferry tickets for the family. The funds will help the Connellys with the strain of Danny’s six-month hospital stay in Seattle.

The same day, knitters gathered sociably around a table to make soft, fun caps for young chemotherapy patients like Danny who lose their hair during treatment.

Thirty caps, from yarn donated by Churchmouse, were decorated by knitted curls and flowers for warmth and cheer and brought to Children’s Hospital.

Rob and Will Connelly visited the shop that morning as thanks.

“There’s been a lot of support that has come out of the woodwork,” Rob said, adding that numerous businesses and individuals have come forward offering help with logistics.

“My husband and I are literally passing ships – we literally don’t see each other except on the weekends when we bring his brother to play,” Kathy said.

Kathy says she was “totally blown away” when she heard that Churchmouse was holding Danny Day. “The community support has been unbelievable.”

She has been surprised by the outpouring of support by many whom she did not even know that well.

Friends, teachers and counselors from Danny’s school have visited, and the local knitting guild took up a collection.

Diagnosed in October, Danny was in remission after the first of five rounds and has just finished his third round of chemotherapy.

He has been in isolation since Thanksgiving, “but we’re doing OK,” Kathy said via phone from the hospital.

The fact that Danny was jumping around, she said, was a good sign.