First Annual sewing class held to make mastectomy pillows

High school senior Charlotte Abrams led a sewing class at the Old Forge Library on Monday, August 8, where she taught local residents how to make a specially-designed mastectomy pillow she created to help people recovering from breast cancer surgery travel more comfortably.

Abrams is a high school senior at the Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, NY. She and her family have been spending their summers in Old Forge for many years.

Charlotte calls her creation the “POSH” Pillow. POSH is an acronym for Post-Op Supportive Hug. Charlotte designed the pillow to go up against the person’s chest and be held in place by the tension of the seat belt. Charlotte also designed arm holes so that the pillow can rest securely without shifting. Providing cushioning to disburse the pressure from the seat belt allows the person to feel more comfortable and less worried when riding in a car during the recovery process.

Charlotte has created a website (www.poshpillowproject.com) where she shares information about how to make this specially designed pillow and she is working on adding a downloadable template with instructions that visitors to her site can print and follow.