I lost my mother August 2003 to breast cancer. She fought this horrible disease for 17 years with radiation and chemotherapy. Her biggest battle through the cancer was losing her hair and not feeling comfortable wearing wigs and other available head coverings. After Mom died, I needed something to do to express myself. In September 2003, my mother-in-law taught me to crochet. I then taught myself to knit. Six months later, at 2 a.m. on a chilly winter night, I finished my first t-shirt chemo hat and knew I had something special. I designed the hat to be comfortable, fun and functional. I cut the t-shirt fabric a specific way to avoid excessive knots in the material. Knots are very uncomfortable for those going through chemo and can cause blistering. Due to the cutting design these fun little tabs emerged on the hat. After carefully calculating each specific item’s pattern I was able to distribute these tabs all over and not on one side or the other. Each Original Fat Thumb Chemo Beanie only has one knot, making it really comfortable to sleep in. Because it’s knitted, it stays put even on the most restless of sleepers.
I started donating hats to cancer victims, hospitals, various charities and the response was enormous and unanimous. These hats became very popular but it wasn’t until I met John that my life would change forever. In December 2004, I met John and his mother Susan. John worked with my husband and had developed a severe infection in the lining around his brain. Susan flew down and stayed by her son’s side. Many nights I sat beside her and offered hope and support but mostly we cried. John went through several surgeries to reduce the pressure on his brain but nothing worked, John was quickly dying. Family flew in to say goodbye and I made John a custom Fat Thumb Chemo Hat to hide the swelling and drain tubes. His mother was so thankful. That silly little hat made a huge impact. She was able to see her son look like his old self again before he died.
It really mattered.
I found my passion.
Fat Thumb was born April 2004. The name comes from my two really fat thumbs and being teased about them my whole life. Sometimes it’s hard being different but sometimes it’s fantastic. Sometimes it makes you beautiful and strong.
Fat Thumb Originals gives hats to those going through hair loss illnesses. I donate about two dozen hats a month to individuals, hospitals, cancer centers and fundraisers. People call or email me, tell me their story and I mail them a hat. I absolutely love what I do and will do this for a very long time. To date, I have given away over 1,000 free hats to people suffering from hair loss illness. The thank you letters I receive keep me going. Everyone should try and make a difference. Love one another.
The slideshow above is a few favorite pitures of my mom. I miss and think about her everyday.
Smiles,
Michele Hirata, The Fat Thumb Chick
