The generous members of the sewing club at the Katy Fussell Senior Center presented a large donation of handmade items to The Grand Baby Project on November 12 at the center at 5370 E. Fifth Street in Katy.

The handmade newborn hats, booties and blankets crafted by the ladies of the sewing club will be used to clothe The Grand Baby Project’s dementia therapy dolls for residents in local senior care communities.

Dementia doll therapy is widely used in other countries as a nonpharmacological intervention when medications don't work to ease agitation, depression and even challenging behaviors. Research shows positive results when doll therapy is introduced in a compassionate and loving way.

“We depend on donations to meet the needs of those we serve,” said Grand Baby Project founder Tonja Moon in an email to the Katy Times. “We have been welcomed and blessed by the Katy community of senior care and healthcare providers.”

The Grand Baby Project is a nonprofit started in Katy five years ago in honor of Moon’s grandmother and serves those living with dementia through the innovative use of dementia doll therapy. A former award-winning coach turned dementia care advocate, Moon founded The Grand Baby Project after seeing firsthand the emotional relief doll therapy brought to her own loved one. To date, the organization has delivered over 5,000 therapy dolls and trained over 3,000 caregivers nationwide.

For more information, to donate or to order a customized dementia therapy doll for a loved one please visit www.thegrandbabyproject.org.