Knitter Uses Her Skill and Free Time to Provide Comfort for Others

A Dear Abby column years ago changed the course of Laura Light’s evenings — and, as it turns out, the lives of many women she’s never met. The column mentioned “Knitted Knockers,” a volunteer group that provides handmade, soft breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies or lumpectomies. Curious, Laura visited the website, and that simple click sparked a project that has become one of her most meaningful contributions.

A lifelong creator who loves to knit, crochet and sew, Laura immediately saw this as a way to put her skills to good use — especially during the long winter months when her garden sleeps and she spends more time indoors with a ball of yarn and the TV humming in the background.

The Knitted Knockers website offered clear instructions and a list of approved yarns, but Laura of St. Cloud didn’t stop there. While wintering in Florida, she joined a “Creating for a Cause” group, where fellow crafters taught her the finer points of making the prostheses and introduced her to other sewing projects that support local senior centers. Their encouragement helped her refine her technique and deepen her commitment.

Although she typically purchases her own yarn, Laura gladly accepts donations as long as they meet the group’s guidelines. Over the years, she has donated her finished pieces to the Coborn Cancer Center — and estimates she’s knitted a couple hundred of them by now.

Each one represents hours of care, quiet dedication and the belief that something handmade can offer comfort far beyond its stitches.

Laura recently dropped off several more knitted knockers and visited with two of the nurse navigators who work closely with breast cancer patients.

“We are so grateful for Laura’s meticulous work, and we get to see firsthand the impact these Knitted Knockers make for our patients,” said Amanda Protolipac, Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator, Coborn Cancer Center. “Patients appreciate that they are simple to use and free of charge for their immediate use. Many of the custom prosthetics need to be ordered and patients often have to wait until they are at a certain place in the healing process to even order the custom prostheses.”