Woman works to give joy to grieving community members while undergoing health challenges

By CNN

Published May 29, 2024 2:41 PM

WREX, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE, CNN

By Emily McMinn

SYCAMORE, Illinois (WREX) — Community members are continuing to honor DeKalb County Deputy Christina Musil two months after her death, including Karen Orstead who makes teddy bears for those experiencing grief.

Orstead was diagnosed with a brain tumor three years ago. However, she has not let that stop her at all from doing one of the things she loves most which is making teddy bears to celebrate big life events or more often than not, for families grieving loved ones who have passed away, including Musil.

Orstead makes the teddy bears out of the loved ones’ clothing and since starting to make them in 2007, has created over 300.

Orstead’s love for sewing and creating began when she was just a child as she learned from family.

“My grandmother always would sit and do embroidery and that was always nice, and it just caught my eye and I just loved to do it and I just started teaching myself,” Orstead said.

This hobby expanded into making the teddy bears 17 years ago after her mother passed away when she made her first one for her brother.

“I know that it’s an important memory and it’s just the idea to have it and I like to help people,” she said.

However, after learning she had a brain tumor the size of a small orange, her projects were put on hold as she underwent four brain surgeries and spent four months in the hospital.

“They told me I was getting septic, or I’d get pneumonia. I have no memory of that,” Orstead said.

Following the passing of Deputy Musil, one of her co-workers approached Orstead about creating teddy bears in her memory, an opportunity she jumped right into given her connection to the deputy.

“I was just devastated. I drive by where that incident was every day to go home and so seeing the flowers and everything that was there it just brought it more home,” Orstead said.

Orstead made bears for both Musil’s family and co-workers, something she hoped could ease their grief in an unimaginable time.

“Every day when I drive by, “Oh Lord, please help that family, please help that family.” It cannot be a good thing for those children,” she said.

Since receiving her diagnosis, Orstead has been through 30 hours of radiation treatments. However, despite it all, she has accepted her reality and will continue to push through, hoping to bring a smile to people’s faces with the tangible reminder of those they’ve lost.

“I can’t do anything about my health so if I can help others than that is good. So, I have no problem making them,” Orstead said.

Another one of these recipients is Orstead’s niece and co-worker who said her resiliency is something she admires.

“I don’t know how she does it sometimes. It’s got to be hard because you’re always dealing with losing somebody or your friends or your family losing somebody and to hold it together and just make that for them, I think that’s really awesome,” Meredith Orstead said.

Last week, Orstead had an MRI which showed that her brain tumor has not grown.

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