COOL hats

Clifford Nulph 85-year-old of Saxonburg, PA broke his hip a few years ago and has been confined to a wheelchair since. Instead of allowing his disability to keep him down, he decided to dive in and start knitting hats. He figures he has designed and produced over 400 hats to go along with Steelers dolls and sock slippers, "I don't think that I've made two the same. I design my own patterns and choose the colors."

Clifford and his wife of 58 years, Shirley, donate the hats to many different charities to include the Cabot United Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and a local food bank. Families that have benefited from their donation have numbered at least 200. Susan Shaltes of Saxonburg and the Cabot United Methodist Church food bank coordinator states, "It's nice he thinks of the families. He's given so many away, who knows where they are."

The whole hat craze started when Clifford's daughter gave him a loom and taught him how to use it. Shirley states, "My daughter brought in the loom to teach him how to us it and she said 'Don't tell him, Mom, but that's therapy.'" Shirley also expresses that Clifford was beginning to lose upper body strength and this helped along with keeping him busy, "If he didn't have anything to do, it would drive him nuts--and me, too. He has to be busy."

Clifford, a retired heavy-equipment operator, acknowledges that you would never have seen him making hats prior to his injury and a nephew teases him that he wouldn't believe it in a thousand years that he would be making hats. Now, Clifford realizes that it's a hobby to stand the test of time, "I plan to keep it up as long as I can do it and I'm able. When you're 85, you never know."

Here's to you Mr. Clifford Nulph for not allowing your disability to keep you down and for thinking of others with your knew hobby-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

What do you think of Clifford's new hobby and his ability to handle his disability?