9-year-old girl’s crochet hats bring smiles to hospitals all over Maryland

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    TIMONIUM, Maryland (WMAR) — Kaylee’s mom, Amanda, began crocheting hats as a hobby.

When the hats started piling up, Kaylee had an idea.

“My dad said what are we going to do with all of these hats, and then I said we could donate them to like people that just need a smile,” said Kaylee Milano.

She created Kay’s Kaps, a foundation they say helps spread smiles to those in the hospital. They have donated hundreds of hats to different hospitals, the Ronald McDonald House, and even the House of Ruth.

“It’s indescribable, like you don’t think of a kid that’s under 15 thinking of anybody or anything for the future, and that’s all she ever wants to do is just make somebody happy. She will give you whatever she has to make you smile, and so it makes me very proud,” said Amanda Milano, Kaylee’s mom.

Kaylee says she wanted to make others happy because she remembers how she felt when she was going back and forth to the hospital while sick.

Kaylee spent a lot of time at Sinai Hospital before she was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.

She says the time spent in the hospital was difficult.

“It’s just really like weird, just coming back and forth from the hospital when you haven’t done that a lot, and it’s like, it’s kind of scary for everybody,” said Kaylee.

Since she has been donating the hats, she has gained lots of support from the community.

Dan Milano, Kaylee’s dad, says it has been a huge help.

“Donations that we have gotten, just of hats, yarn. The support, you know, the outpouring of support it’s amazing,” he said.

Now, they have more hats than ever before, Kaylee says she would like to find more places to donate their hats. She says she eventually wants to donate to every hospital in the United States.

“It makes me feel really good and it makes me feel like i did something good,” said Kaylee.

In December, Kaylee will be honored at The Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run, thanks to a $5,000 donation from the Orioles in Kaylee’s name.

Kaylee’s mom says their next plan is for the foundation to become a non-profit charity.

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