KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Newton Woman Overcomes Disease to Give to Others

Newton Woman Overcomes Disease to Give to Others

(NEWTON, Kan.)

She's says she couldn't give you straight hand if she wanted to, but Jane Stanley has found she has much more to give.

"It's something to do and it makes me feel good."

The 70 year-old Newton grandmother was diagnosed with both rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson's disease in the early 90's. Since then, she's lost the ability to write, cook and walk for long distances, leaving her looking for something to pass the time.

"I thought I'm going to try knitting, at least I can do that." Between knitting, embroidering and making her trade-mark dolls, her stiff hands started to loosen up. It was her brother-in-law that first noticed the effect it had on her Parkinson's.

"The minute I started embroidering and putting the hair on (the dolls) they just went normal. I said I have no explanation."

When she's deep into her work is the only time her shaking slows. So she took it as a sign and started making gifts for people.

"I said  this is God's work. I said he's letting me do this and I really feel like that's what it is and that's why I give them away. I said it makes me happy and it makes somebody else happy."

She gives them to family members and has picked several people in the community, who are nice to her, to have one too. Stanley says finishing something like a blanket is a big accomplishment, since by all accounts she shouldn't even be able to start it.

"You just keep going."