Friendship stitched together by common threads

Two women forged a friendship by overcoming illness and giving back.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

One was diagnosed four times with cancer – the most recent, breast cancer. The other received a double organ transplant.

Nancy Walz and Karen Kuiper knew little about each other when they met at their church, Hope Bible Fellowship in Noblesville.

“Nancy was wearing these beautiful shawls and ponchos, and it fascinated me. I finally stopped her and we were talking about starting a crochet group at church,” said Kuiper. “When I learned she crochets, I asked if she would consider making shawls for the Indiana Donor Network.”

From that encounter, their friendship grew and so did the number of “comfort shawls” gifted to living organ donors and family members of deceased donors.

Walz crochets about three shawls a week. The friends meet up at church where Kuiper recently collected 11 of the handmade works of art. Walz is one of hundreds of volunteers throughout Indiana offering her handiwork for “Threads of Compassion.” The program was initiated by the Indiana Donor Network (IDN) as a way of “expressing passion where there are no words to say.” The IDN provides the yarn and patterns and Walz provides the love with each stitch.

“It’s a way to give back and give all the glory to God,” said Walz, 81, who grew up in Indiana and Ohio. “My dad was a United Methodist minister, and we moved about every three years. I went to seven different schools and graduated from Waldron High School in 1962,” said Walz, who now lives in Fishers, Ind, with her daughter. She also has a son. Growing up, Walz remembers her mother was artistic and tried to teach her to crochet earlier in life. It took some time to learn and at one time, her arthritis was so bad that she gave away her yarn.

Over her lifetime, she’s been diagnosed with melanoma, parotid gland cancer, ductal invasive carcinoma (the most common form of breast cancer), and invasive lobular carcinoma (the second most common form of breast cancer). “After a double mastectomy, I’m cancer free,” said Walz who is now in the care of IU Health’s Dr. Jennifer Morgan.

Kuiper, 83 spent most of her life in Michigan where she worked as an executive assistant at a nuclear plant. She is the mother to two daughters and has four grandchildren.

In 2017, Kuiper moved to Indianapolis and became a patient with IU Health where she was diagnosed with liver and kidney disease. She was in and out of the hospital and at one time was in ICU for 108 days.

“I had atrophy and had to learn to walk and talk and everything else all over again,” said Kuiper. She received a kidney and liver transplant on May 31, 2018, and was in the care of Dr. Chandrashekhar Kubal.

“I went to bed after bible study and the next thing I knew I was in an ambulance,” said Kuiper. That was the start of her journey to a double organ transplant. “In between the transplant I had a stroke. They did the liver first and had to stop because I had a cardiomyopathy issue, so they put the kidney on a machine until I was stable.”

Through it all, Kuiper said she never once encountered an unkind staff member. “If I could do something phenomenal for IU Health, I would. Everyone was so kind and professional.” She continues in the care of Drs. John Holden and Oluwafisayo Adebiyi.

Throughout her life, Kuiper has volunteered at her church and in her community. Since her transplant she dedicates time to the Indiana Donor Network.

“We have no idea the impact these shawls have on the recipients,” said Kuiper. “It’s a small way to show great appreciation.” The shawls have also stitched together a friendship based on mutual appreciation.

“I don’t see clearly in my left eye, and my hands are shaky, but I keep going because I know it’s a small way of giving back,” said Walz. “I love the connection we have, and I love seeing Karen’s face when she sees the colors and patterns.”