Heart Surgery Survivor Knits for Premature Newborns

Martha Godwin gives back, one stitch at a time

A Garland woman who has undergone an innovative surgery is using her second chance to give back by knitting caps for premature babies.

Martha Godwin, 79, decided to the knit the caps after she almost lost her own life.

"I wasn't ready to go yet, and I figured I still had a lot yet to give and do," she said.

Godwin had heart trouble and needed open heart surgery but was too fragile. In September, she had a valve replacement by guiding a catheter through an incision in her leg as part of a Food and Drug Administration trial at Medical City Dallas Hospital.

"That procedure allowed her to have her aortic valve replaced without her chest, and that was an easier recovery for her," said Dr. Bruce Bowers, the hospital's director of Interventional Cardiovascular Research.

With her second lease on life, Godwin made 80 tiny caps for premature babies at Medical City Children's Hospital. The Sachse Senior Center donated all the yarn for the knit caps.

"I'm happy to able to give these little hats to these babies, because they need something to keep their heads warm," she said.

Baby Brody, who has been at the hospital for more than a month, received one of the caps.

"It's the icing on the cake, and it's such a sweet victory for him to get to home today and have a cap to take with him," Lachelle Miller said.

Contact Us