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In This Issue:
Physical Therapist Joan Casby lives by her own definition of success: helping someone else have a better life.
Whether that means collecting handmade caps, scarves and mittens for those who have none or helping people regain strength after surgery, Casby’s efforts bring relief to many. “I like seeing that I can make a difference,” she said. “I like to help people change their lifestyle or do something to just feel better.”
At BWH, Casby is a senior physical therapist in the outpatient Rehabilitation Department at 850 Boylston St., where she sees about eight patients a day. Patients of all ages come to her for rehabilitation from pain after surgery, such as total joint replacements, or because of overuse syndromes due to various activities or prolonged computer use. BWH patients have benefited from her skill and compassion since 1979, when she first joined the Rehabilitation Services Department at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital.
A decade later, she brought Caps for Kids to BWH. She first learned about this fund-raising effort that began at a yarn store in Concord, Calif., in 1984. “My sister worked at the store, and the store didn’t take returns of yarn, but instead asked for donations to make caps. We decided to start doing it here as a community service project in 1989,” she said.
In 1999, the BWH knitters teamed up with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the program exploded. “Now we have more than 5,000 hats to donate to needy children in Boston as a result,” said Casby. “It’s amazing to see so much excitement over just a little hat. They are twice warmed—they warm those who give them and those who receive them!”