Natalie's Everyday Heroes: These heroes don't wear capes, they make them
GRAFTON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- You've probably heard the saying, "not all heroes wear capes." But we found some everyday heroes who do make them.
A group of women at Aurora Cancer Care in Grafton calls themselves the "Cape Crusaders."
Their sewing skills are their superpower.
Over the whir of the sewing machine, and the sorting of buttons, a group of women gets into a groove.
"We talk about our families and just socialize," said Sheila Kissel.
Their hands are busy, picking out bright fabric and cutting the pattern.
"We call ourselves the Cape Crusaders," said the group's coordinator, Mary Butler.
They make cheerful, fleece capes to give out at a time people might need a little extra comfort.
"For every cape, there's a cancer patient," Butler said.
Butler said they've made almost 800 in the last eight years.
"When you're going through cancer treatment, you really have no idea what to expect," said patient Kelly Jaeger.
Jaeger is one of those patients.
"So, I was pregnant and I noticed a lump in my breast," she said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer, she delivered her baby and started treatment. Wearing a cape from the Cape Crusaders.
"It offered me comfort at a time when I didn't even know I needed it," she said.
The women in the group understand how she feels.
"Right after radiation, I started with the group," Kissel said.
They've all been affected by cancer in some way.
"I joined in 2018, shortly after my younger brother died of colon cancer," Butler said.
They put a note in the pocket letting patients know it's made with love.
"It makes treatment a little bit easier," said Sara Zamzow.
Zamzow is a radiation therapist who sees the practical side of the capes.
"Instead of having to get untangled with all the gowns, and sometimes those gowns don't fit anyone quite well, so to have the cape, it's a little more customized to the patient," she said.
Every six weeks or so, they get together in Grafton to make sure there are always capes in stock.
"I just think it's so sweet and so kind," Jaeger said.
Jaeger doesn't need her cape now.
She threw out the first pitch at the Brewers game on Mother's Day with her baby on her hip.
"I have a 1-and-a-half-year-old that I want to be around for another 40 years for, so I'll do whatever it takes," she said.
And the Cape Crusaders will keep using their powers for good.
"In the last eight years, we've become close friends. I really love these ladies," Butler said.
"It was really rewarding to do something like that and give back," Kissel added.
Jaeger said she's doing well right now. She is done with radiation and has a few rounds of chemo left.
The Cape Crusaders say if you're looking for a volunteer opportunity, they are looking for new members.
If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].