Winona Health Volunteers have been putting their skills to work for 125 years

Since the Winona Health Volunteers began their legacy of caring, serving and giving in 1894, they’ve been evolving and expanding the services they provide to our community through Winona Health. In those early years, the volunteers got together and sewed sheets and nightshirts for hospital patients. Today, 125 years later, volunteers use their skills to make all sorts of useful and comforting items, from colorful pillowcases for surgical patients and tiny, soft wristbands for infants, to cozy lap blankets and shawls for memory care and nursing home residents and knitted knockers for those who have lost one or both breasts to breast cancer. Knitted Knockers are special handmade breast prosthesis for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast. They are lovingly knitted by our talented Winona Health Volunteers who provide them free of charge to breast cancer survivors or any woman who wants them. Traditional breast prosthetics are usually expensive, heavy and uncomfortable, and they typically require special bras or camisoles with pockets and can’t be worn for weeks after surgery. Knitted Knockers are soft, comfortable and beautiful. When placed in a regular bra, they take the shape and feel of a real breast. Knitted Knockers are crafted with approved yarns that have been tested and proven to be washable, stay soft after air drying and are breathable, durable and a correct weight. For the wearer, it is crucial that the fiber not exacerbate a highly sensitive part of a woman’s body that may be especially tender after surgery. A Knitted Knocker can be adjusted to fill the gap for breasts that are uneven and easily adapted for those going through reconstruction by simply removing some of the stuffing. They come in a variety of colors and bra sizes and in a pack of one or two. The Winona Health Volunteers provide Knitted Knockers free to all who would like them. Those who would like more information about Knitted Knockers—either making them or receiving them—please contact Winona Health Volunteer Services at krwalters@winonahealth.org or 507.457.4342, or visit winonahealth.org/knockers.