Group Helping Bring Smiles To Young Patients At Oklahoma Children's Hospital

Ryan’s Cases for Smiles is all about spreading love and joy to kids at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital by giving them their very own decorative pillow case. 

The group of about 20 ladies gets together once a month to make special decorative pillowcases for the patients.

“We supply 350 to 400 every month,” said Gayle Patterson, one of the original members of the group. 

The women get together each month at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Edmond. 

“There’s some that are retired, there’s some that used to be teachers, there just from different areas, but it’s just a nice womanly thing to do, though we’ll take men,” said Patterson. 

Everyone has a job in the group. Some sewing, some cutting, some ironing, and some stuffing each special pillowcase with a very special message. 

“That your dreams may be sweet and your future bright, tucked in with your pillowcase snuggled up tight.” 

Some material and supplies are donated, some are bought by the group themselves, but it’s all for a worthy cause.

“No matter how many times a child goes to the hospital, he gets a pillowcase,” said Carol Cleveland, one of the original members of the group. 

After 12 to 13 years the ladies have now made 50,000 pillowcases. The special pillowcases will be delivered to the hospital later this month. 

The group took a break from the work and celebrated with cake. They invite anyone that wants to join the fun to come out. 

“Just come help. We’ll find a job for you,” Cleveland said. “It’s just good to be with other friends who care, and we have such a good group of people and it’s fun to get together with friends.” 

The group isn’t able to personally give out the cases right now but hope that will return soon. For now, they find joy in just knowing they have made a child smile.