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Allison was a special friend. Her parents donated her collection of Hatchtown spindles to raise some funds to aid her doctor's research. We're happy to report that the Hatchtown "family" of customers quickly converted spindles to cash. |
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Allison was a special friend. Her parents donated her collection of Hatchtown spindles to raise some funds to aid her doctor's research. We're happy to report that the Hatchtown "family" of customers quickly converted spindles to cash. |
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We miss her. |
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"We would like everyone to meet a very special person, Allison Caldwell. Allison became ill at about 12 years of age with very puzzling symptoms - unexplained chronic fatigue and allergic reactions that effected her whole body. Allison was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and the challenge was to figure out the cause of the fatigue. Eventually Allison was diagnosed with Wegener's, a rare auto-immune disease. Wegener's is a vascular auto-immune disease that destroys the blood vessels in the body and in Allison's case it attacked her kidneys and lungs. For Allison the Wegener's disease was complicated by the presence of other auto-immune and allergic conditions and never went into remission. Allison died September 1, 2005 at the age of 25." |
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"Allison lived her life to the fullest. She was faced with major medical issues but decided to always move forward and make each day the best it could be.
Allison had a strong positive attitude and found her passion - designing and knitting. Allison focused on enjoying those activities and did not let her illness take away this enjoyment. Allison taught all of us who knew her how to live our life with dignity, the importance of finding a passion in our life and having a positive attitude. "
Hatchtown memories: I knew that Allison was different than my usual spindle customer by the time I received her second e-mail in May of 2001. I'd asked her if she'd been to the Applebees restaurant in Columbia, MD where she lived -- we'd just discovered it during that year's Sheep & Wool Festival not far from our motel. In her response Allison mentioned that because of her illness she did not go out much,
Me being me, I, of course, asked about her illness. She answered me matter-of-factly: "You asked about my illness. It is complicated and puzzling a lot of doctors. I cannot tolerate food and I am in pain all the time along with many other things and the doctors can't pinpoint why. Because I am confined to bed I am unable to use the spinning wheel so I learned to spin with a spindle. Then I found your spindles and they spin just as beautifully as they look. There are days when I feel really crummy and I enjoy just spinning them without yarn."
I remember thinking that it would take some extra-pretty spindles to stand up to Allison's scrutiny on those bad days.
In her next e-mail Allison revealed how she planned positively -- purposely inserting happy points in her future:"I am going to send in another order for spindles before I go into the hospital (something to look forward to when I come home)."
I had recently discovered that I had ulcerative colitis -- like Allison's illness, a problem involving the immune system. Allison and I would compare notes on the nasty side effects of steroids and such. It was real tough to feel too sorry for myself ...Allison was so much sicker than I was and she was doing just fine! <G> How bad could my problems be?E-mail msg from Allison - 6/29/2002
Dear Spindleguy, How are you doing? I am doing about the same. My recent blood tests have shown improvement so the medicine and chemo are doing their jobs. I have been keeping busy knitting and using your spindles, of course! I made some really soft alpaca yarn recently that turned out really well. My Mom and I have been enjoying all the treasures we bought at the Sheep and Wool. I am working on a sweater for myself with yarn that my Mom spun and it is turning out really well. I hope that you had a good time out in Oregon and the other festivals that you were going to and that you have been feeling well. Love, Allison
I was feeling real bad late in 2002. I couldn't get my colitis under control. At one point I apologized to Allison for not having answered one of her e-mails very quickly.E-mail msg from Allison - 12/10/2002
....I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND that there are good days and bad days and sometimes it turns into weeks. So really I understand. There are some days when I just want to pick up my knitting and not have to follow a pattern, sometimes that is easier. So if you just want to play with the whorl blanks you have for me don't worry about the specifics that we had decided on, the long-spinning or what wood goes on top, whatever you want to do would be wonderful. No pressure I just realize sometimes it is just easier to create without having to think about it.
P.S. One thing that I found helped me during those bad days was when I went to bed I had to find at least three good things about the day, or if it was a really bad day, even just one. For some reason that tiny thing of thinking of the good things last makes a big difference! Just a little thought, hang in there!
Allison looked forward to the MSWF each year and the plan was to visit with spinning friends, enter the competitions and fill the car up
both days with fiber and supplies for the year. As Allison's illness progressed, ...Dr. Rowe became a big part in making sure Allison could enjoy the weekend. He understood the importance of this weekend to Allison and made sure she was able to go - all medical tests and medication adjustments were put on hold during this time. Allison entered her doll sweaters and adult sweaters each year and won ribbons for everything she entered. All of Allison's doll sweaters were her own original designs.
Allison was able to spin with the spindle for a while but had to stop because it was too exhausting due to her illness. Her Mom, Jean, took over spinning the yarn for the projects and Allison concentrated on the designing and knitting of her sweaters. Allison looked forward to the competition each year and challenged herself to make more complicated designs for the following year.
E-mail msg from Allison - 12/13/2002It will be perfect timing for the Kaaris to arrive because on Sunday the 15th I have to take that nasty medicine that makes me feel really sick and it will definitely be a bright spot in my day when they come!!
I'll have Mom pick up a copy of the Hobbit and I promise to read it by the Maryland Sheep and Wool! .....I had a great time talking to you and I hope that the Imuran has started to "kick in"! Keep in touch and best wishes for the new year. Love, Allison
Throughout 2003 and 2004 Allison sent me "get well" cards! Not just one or two! There were times when I'd receive two cards from her in the same week! As bad as I might have been feeling, I didn't have much luck feeling sorry for myself. She'd agree not to send any more get well cards ....and then, maybe three or four weeks would go by and there'd be a new get well card from Allison in the mail.
E-mail msg from Allison - 4/26/2005
Dear Jim, We are looking forward to going to the Sheep and Wool and the doctors all know it and I'll have plenty of medicine to get me through! I hope that you will be able to come and we can see you. Hope for good weather and have a safe trip. Allison
Allison in her wheelchair stopped by the Hatchtown tent at the MDSW on both days -- Saturday with Jean and on Sunday accompanied by her dad Steve. I had been kidding her for a long time about this possibly non-existent "Dad person" she mentioned from time to time. Was she sure he REALLY existed?
E-mail msg from Allison - 5/15/2005
Dear Jim and Pam, It was really great to see you. I hope that you had a safe trip home. We all had a really great time at the festival as always and now we get to use all those wonderful fibers. I think two days of car loads full will be keeping us busy for awhile! I am full of ideas for new designs. Dad enjoyed meeting you, now you know that he really does exist! I am still getting over the shingles they say with the chemo and all it will take awhile. I hope you enjoyed your time at the festival. Keep in touch. Love, Allison
E-mail msg from Allison - 7/5/2005
Dear Jim, ....I watched Wimbledon and my Dad is watching the Tour de France, they show it everyday on cable. If you are watching everything all at once you can assume that Federer will win.
July 16th, do you know what that day means? It is the release of the new Harry Potter, did you reserve your copy, we did! Talk to you again soon. Allison
That was the last e-mail we received directly from Allison. As was the tradition in the Caldwell household -- established a few years back when medication blurred Allison's vision so that she couldn't see well enough to read herself -- her Mom read this latest Harry Potter book aloud -- one chapter a day -- to make "the good" last as long as possible. They did finish the book before Allison passed away on September 1st,
Just before the new year, Jean shared the following from one of Allison's journals -- written when she was 19:
......I've been thinking as I often do about everything going on in my life.....I've never seen myself as someone with an illness or defined myself by it. I'm much more. I've learned so much about myself, in some ways I wouldn't be so comfortable with myself if I hadn't had this illness. Aside from all the frustrations so many amazing things have come my way that wouldn't have otherwise. I'm a very determined, creative person....I'm very honest. I once heard - why be afraid of the truth - it's so true....I make sure I have happiness in my life...That's why the positive attitude that has been instilled in me has kept me from giving into this illness....If I had to summarize my life, it would show a very positive happy story of someone determined not to let anything stop her dreams. Allison
Allison's spindles
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