Irish milliner Philip Treacy once said, “How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about” – something that Carson Thatcher knows well.

The 10-year-old was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020, and shortly after he began treatment, Carson decided he wanted to support others since so many people and organizations were helping him.

Carson came up with the idea to collect hat donations for other cancer patients to provide comfort and boost their spirits. With the help of his mother, Melissa Hendershot, he started Hats of Hope. To date, the nonprofit organization has collected and distributed more than 2,000 caps to cancer patients throughout northeast Ohio.
Carson recently made his first donation to the Aultman Cancer Center. Dressed in sweats and fresh off a pizza lunch after chemotherapy, he humbly showed Aultman team members a box filled with store-bought and homemade creations in children’s and adult sizes. Some of the hats even matched the one Carson was wearing: a white beanie with the word “hope” on it. His mom, Melissa, explained the hat is part of a fundraising initiative through Mark Wahlberg Airstream & RV Outdoor Adventures, which is selling the beanies to raise funds for Hats of Hope.

Traci Hocking, director of hematology and oncology, and Kelly Downard, director of infusion therapy, were on hand to receive the donation. “Many thanks to Carson; what an amazing young man,” Downard said. “Thank you so much for providing ‘hats of hope’ to other cancer warriors. We appreciate your kindness and generosity.”

After their visit to Aultman Hospital, Melissa said their next stop was to research a new storage space for the hats awaiting donation at their house. “The totes are practically stacked up to our ceiling,” she said with a laugh.

Thanks to Carson’s efforts, that’s a great problem to have!

To learn more and donate, visit the Hats of Hope Facebook page.