Copyright CBS News
Throughout the month of November, North Texans are making special blankets for a project to help kids in pain. It's based on an idea and personal experience of a TCU student. When the inevitable pain sets in, Miller Kerr reaches for a fleece blanket that offers more comfort than any medicine. "There are days that I can't get out of bed, but I may need help showering or that I need help walking," said Kerr. The 22-year-old suffers from a rare condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, first diagnosed after a minor sports injury as a child. "It was originally just a deep bruise to the thigh, and 6 weeks later, I lost the ability to walk, and I thought my life was over," Kerr said. "I became extremely depressed and suicidal." She and 200,000 other Americans live with recurring bouts of pain that subside but never really go away. A fleece blanket donated to the hospital where she was treated as a 10-year-old gave her hope. "That was one of the hardest and darkest times in my life," said Kerr. "When I got that blanket, I felt special. I felt like somebody was rooting for me." Through her organization, called Burning Hope, Miller wants to bring that same encouragement to other kids with CRPS by promoting a month of blanket parties, including one on Wednesday night at Venue Forty in Addison. The TCU student has already donated over 600 blankets to hospitals across the U.S. that are made of a type of fleece that's easier for pain sufferers to snuggle up to. "For instance, even air, a feather to the affected limb can hurt, and so the fleece that we use is very soft," Kerr said. Kerr still cherishes her blanket and hopes they will help others cope with the pain. "As well as that symbol of comfort and knowing that somebody else out somewhere in the world is caring for them, said Kerr.
