Woman Turns Fabric Into Courage With Handmade Capes for Cancer Patients Facing Chemotherapy
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One woman’s generosity is changing lives in Arizona by making gifts for cancer patients. A cancer survivor herself, Terry Kelly wants people to have a little comfort, even if it’s just for a few minutes, through the capes that she makes. She knows everyone deserves a little kindness, especially when they’re going through chemotherapy.
Woman Makes Over 1,000 Gifts for Cancer Patients
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Terry, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, has made gifts for over one thousand cancer patients. When she was fighting cancer in 2019, someone gifted her something to keep her warm and comfortable while she underwent treatment. So she does the same for others. She wants patients to know that someone cares.
She has made over 1000 capes and shawls on her dining room table through her initiative, “Been There… I Care.”
“Someone is showing you that they’re walking with you,” Kelly said. “It can’t cure your cancer and it can’t make the pain that you’re in because of the treatment go away, but for maybe 5 minutes, it can distract you because somebody cares about you.”
Each Gift Gets a Handwritten Note
Terry doesn’t meet most of the patients that the capes go to, but in an important way, she cares and understands them—and that’s important.
Each cape she makes is completed with a brooch, a ribbon, and a handwritten note that says, “My ‘BFF’ bought me a cape, like this one that I have made for you. It kept me warm while I was going through cancer treatments, and I hope it keeps you warm too.”
Her Service to Cancer Patients Earns Special Recognition
For her efforts, Terry received the Michael Kzirian Flame of Courage Award from the Cancer Hope Network last year. The organization recognized her not just for her cape initiative but also for mentoring 30 patients and caregivers since she joined in 2021.
It is so sweet and caring that Kelly would devote her time to something like this. Everyone needs a little comfort and hope, and this is a small way to offer that.
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"I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:36
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h/t: Arizona’s Family
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Cancer Hope Network
Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.
Originally published October 20, 2026.
