Twelve years ago, Kathy Braidich’s co-worker at the Newark post office had breast cancer. She continued to come to work everyday throughout her treatment, saving her sick leave for the days following her upcoming surgery.
She had lost her hair and was wearing a wig, but didn’t love it. It was hot and itchy and she couldn’t wait to take it off each day. She had also paid $25 for an uncomfortable turban – a common head covering for those experiencing hair loss throughout their cancer treatment – and didn’t want to waste more money trying to find a better one.
Though she had never sewed before, Braidich volunteered to make her a turban. With help from a local Joann Fabrics and Crafts, she did her best, brought it into work and gifted it to her colleague, who loved it.
And the Turban Project was born.
In the early days of the organization, which provides free headwear to people undergoing chemotherapy treatment and with other medical conditions that cause hair loss, Braidich approached a group of women involved in the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Assembly, suggesting they work together to expand the burgeoning operation.
“We’re all volunteers, and we run 100% on donations, and we will mail packages all over the state of Ohio, all over the United States,” Braidich said. “We pay shipping so it’s zero cost to anyone who needs our headwear.”
Since the organization began 12 years ago, it has grown to support satellite projects in every state and 14 countries, and has donated more than 285,000 turbans, courage caps, crocheted hats and reusable face masks.
In 2024, the National Cancer Institute estimated roughly 2 million people were diagnosed with cancer in the United States. While not all of those people will experience hair loss, Braidich wants to ensure anyone who wants a head covering can access one they will love.
When people request the free headwear, they can decide between turbans, beanies, courage caps, crocheted hats and face masks. They can also specify what colors and patterns they like. Sometimes they’ll share an interest of theirs, like a love of golden retrievers, and the volunteers will find fabric to match their interest. And anyone getting headwear will usually get five or six pieces of headwear in their package. The project also donates to hospitals, with Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark being the first one they stocked.
“We pray when we sew, knowing a person who needs our prayers is going to need those in that headwear and that they’ll feel it, and we get countless thank yous that say, ‘A peace rushed through me that I can’t explain,’” Braidich said.
Braidich said her Catholic faith has guided her throughout this process, and while the organization is Christian, she welcomes volunteers of all faiths.
Volunteers can attend and sew any time they want, though her core group of volunteers get together twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
Susan Brock is part of that core group and started sewing for The Turban Project around seven years ago. She first learned about it when she attended a demonstration, called a “Sewing Smorgasbord,” that Braidich hosted at Sheridan High School in Thornville.
After a friend was diagnosed with uterine cancer, Brock wanted to learn how to sew hats for her and that led her to the Turban Project. For several years, Braidich would send Brock pre-cut fabric and Brock would send finished headwear back to her.
“I was sending two boxes a month, and I thought it was cheaper to drive here,” she laughed.
“Once I started and got to know these ladies, I was hooked.”
She started coming regularly and now thinks of all the volunteers as a “Sisterhood.”
Different volunteers do different things, but Brock mainly sews, following a sheet of all of the requests. She’s stationed at a sewing machine in the corner of their main room, part of the free space they operate out of at Newark Commerce Center on Union Street.
Marsha Mikeworth, from Heath, has also been volunteering with the organization for over a decade. She doesn’t sew but does the packaging and helps with the organization of all the headwear.
The Turban Project is personal to Mikeworth, who lost her sister to cancer a few years ago.
“Like we all say, we wish they would just finally find a cure,” she said.
People often hear about The Turban Project through word of mouth but they also have a website and a Facebook page where people can make requests.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 14 satellite locations where people were sewing for the Turban Project. Braidich knew exactly who they were, their contact information, what hospitals they stocked, and more. But the project has expanded considerably since then, with the pandemic acting as a catalyst for this growth, due to the increased need for face masks. At the time, people started reaching out to Braidich in droves, wanting to help out. The Turban Project started sending out starter kits with pre-cut, ready-to-sew fabric for all the different headwear and masks they create.
Now, the effort has been so successful that Braidich can’t keep track of all the volunteers nationwide. She gets them started, and then they are on their own.
“I have no idea the total count of how many angels are out there. It’s beyond me, and I don’t have to know. But it’s wonderful, and it works,” she said.
Ellie Owen writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.