Grayslake woman uses ornaments to cheer patients
By Beth Kramer ekramer@stmedianetwork.com December 14, 2011 8:12PM
Grayslake 12/9/11 Lyzzie Elliot, founder of a charity, HOPE Ornaments, packages ornaments at her home in Grayslake, on Friday, December 9, 2011. Elliot and other volunteers hope to deliver 7,000 ornaments to patients in 39 area hospitals over the holiday season. | Ruthie Hauge ~ Sun-Times Media
Give an
ornament
Send new, handmade or gently used ornaments to HOPE Ornaments, 562 Second St., Grayslake, IL 60030.
More Info: (847) 903-5563
Web site: www.hopeornaments.com
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Updated: February 13, 2012 1:58AM
GRAYSLAKE — Being stuck in the hospital during the holiday season is a drag. Lyzzi Elliott, 27, knows this from experience.
Rather than focusing on the downside, the Grayslake native was inspired by her experiences to launch her own charity, HOPE Ornaments.
“People don’t realize something as small as an ornament can change someone’s holiday,” Elliott said. “No matter what the ornament is, it gives a patient a smile.”
Due to her health issues, Elliott operates her charity out of her home. She collects thousands of ornaments, packages them and then delivers them to patients in 39 hospitals in Illinois.
“The hospitals are great. They let us go in a and visit every patient. We take a cart with us and patients pick which one they want,” Elliott said. “Every year, we seem to get more and more volunteers.”
This year, the goal is to hand out 7,000 ornaments.
Six years ago, a co-worker’s daughter had leukemia and was in the hospital during Christmas. Elliott brought the girl an ornament.
“Seeing how that made her happy, I did it the next year. I bought 20 ornaments and handed them out. People heard what I was doing and now it keeps growing,” Elliott said.
People donate new, handmade and gently used ornaments. Elliott said she and her team of volunteers give them to everyone in the hospitals. Delivery happens the week of Christmas.
Elliott works on the project year-round. It is a good distraction from her own health issues. She has a mystery condition that causes extremely high blood pressure.
She has made countless rounds of doctor visits and testing. Even the Mayo Clinic couldn’t diagnose her, she said.
Elliott had to leave her job in event planning. Her high blood pressure causes her to black out and she has had concussions from some of her blackouts.
“We have no idea what it is. It affects my whole body,” Elliott said.
The problem has been serious for the last two years or so, she said.
She has spent birthdays and parts of her holiday season in the hospital season.
When Round Lake Beach resident Sonya Curtis learned about Elliott’s charity, she couldn’t wait to get involved.
Curtis works at GCG Financial in Bannockburn and incorporated ornament collecting in a team-building activity.
“I took up a collection and my team members donated. So far, it’s been a great success,” Curtis said. “It’s such a great foundation. The people stuck in the hospital for the holidays, sometimes they don’t get a treat. That makes me so sad. I think the ornaments can really go a long, long way.”
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