A gift of caring
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Alex Carbonara of Oliver has been crocheting Christmas hats that she is donating to the Family Beginnings Birthing Center at Uniontown Hospital.
Jaxon Harris, less than a day old and in the arms of his grandmother Linda Jones, wears a hat crocheted by Alex Carbonara, a sophomore at Laurel Highlands who made 14 such hats for newborns at the Uniontown Hospital as an act of Christmas charity.
Jaxon Harris, less than a day old and in the arms of his grandmother Linda Jones, wears a hat crocheted by Alex Carbonara, a sophomore at Laurel Highlands who made 14 such hats for newborns at the Uniontown Hospital as an act of Christmas charity.
Alex Carbonara creates the Christmas hats using an crochet hook and red and green yarn.
Jaxon Harris, less than a day old and in the arms of his grandmother Linda Jones, wears a hat crocheted by Alex Carbonara, a sophomore at Laurel Highlands who made 14 such hats for newborns at the Uniontown Hospital as an act of Christmas charity.
Alex Carbonara, a sophomore at Laurel Highlands Senior High School, is seated in the living room of her home. Her fingers quickly and deftly move over the red and green yarn as she crochets row upon row.
The light from the Christmas tree casts a colorful glow highlighting the numerous presents that are wrapped below. However, these are not the only presents in the house.
“My mom said (to me and my sister) to think of a good deed to do for the holidays,” said Alex, who decided to crochet newborn baby hats for those born at the Family Beginnings Birthing Center at Uniontown Hospital.
Alex said that she received the inspiration for her project from her grandmother, Joyce Carbonara, who crochets the Christening blankets at St. Therese, Little Flower of Jesus Parish in Uniontown.
“Plus, I am interested in the medical field,” added Alex.
Each of the 14 hats that Alex crocheted is a combination of the traditional red and green holiday colors and includes a handmade pom-pom on the top. To make one hat, it took Carbonara about 45 minutes, and she would craft them while watching television or doing other activities.
“That is what she is doing with her free time,” said Michelle Carbonara, Alex’s mother.
Not far away from Alex’s home in Oliver, at only a day old, Jaxon Harris of Uniontown is swaddled snugly in the arms of his grandmother Linda Jones as a red and green cap keeps his head cozy at Uniontown Hospital.
“He’s God’s special blessing,” said Jones beaming as she looked down on her new grandson while Jaxon’s parents Jessica Tyson and Bryan Harris, both of Uniontown, have a quiet moment to relax from the previous night’s excitement of bringing him into the world.
With only a few days before Christmas, Jessica said she was glad he arrived before the holiday.
“He did get some presents. That is why we were happy he was here before Christmas,” she said.
As in true Christmas spirit, both Alex and Jessica received a special gift this holiday season.
Alex’s came in the form of giving to others and the new mom’s was in the form of a tiny bundle of joy kept cozy by a new hand-crocheted hat.