A Healing Heart: How a Single Act of Kindness Built a Charity Providing Support Across the Nation
As a family-owned business, Rob-See-Co believes in the power and importance of our dealers and distributors living and working in the communities they serve. Beyond selling seed, Rob-See-Co employees and partners are often engaged members of their communities, doing amazing things. The story of how Distributor Rusty Triplette’s family and community came together to rally behind an heartfelt cause started by his daughter Jen is one we believe is worth sharing:
A single gift of kindness during Jen Willard’s treatment for breast cancer blossomed into a gratitude project touching more than 8,000 lives.
In 2016, while undergoing treatment in Littleton, CO, Jen Willard, daughter of Rob-See-Co Distributor Rusty and Sandy Triplette, received a heart-shaped pillow designed to make wearing a seatbelt during her mastectomy recovery more comfortable.
Jen’s surgery was a success, and on her 18-month cancer free anniversary, she was inspired to start a project to “pay it forward” to her family, friends and everyone in her new cancer community who had shown her support. When thinking of ways to show her gratitude, her mind went back to the pillow she had received in the hospital.
“The pillow looked simple, but made this lasting impression on my heart, that I knew this is how I wanted to pay it forward.”
On August 3, 2017, Jen officially launched the beginning of what is now JWILL Pink Village. She didn’t set out wanting to cure cancer, but wanted to do something that was more tangible, so she could see and feel the impact being made.
The pillows JWILL Pink Village creates are designed in a heart shape, with a strap to hold a seatbelt. The pillows both protect people who have had mastectomies, and also provide comfort to those going through chemotherapy, with ports that are sensitive to seatbelts.
Jennifer’s goal is to create pillows for a variety of people. JWILL Pink Village also creates pillows with more masculine patterns, as well as Disney characters for moms of young kids. Sometimes when these young mothers go to treatment, they leave the pillow at home so their little ones can feel connected while they are apart. A nurse navigator even shared with Jen that her younger mothers undergoing treatment also used the pillows so their small children could hug them even when they were sensitive due to treatment.
A unique element Jen chose to add to the pillows is a handwritten tag, written only by survivors or thrivers (those currently living with breast cancer.) The tag reads “This pillow was made by volunteers with love and hope! Sending you strength and courage, you’re not alone.”
The first hospital Jen donated to was her local hospital in Louisville, Colorado – the same hospital she visited for the initial mammogram that led to her diagnosis.
“It was really important to me,” Jen says, “Because it felt like it was a full circle moment.”
Jen set an initial goal of 75 pillows, with her mom Sandy helping to determine how much fabric, stuffing, and other materials were needed. When Jen shared the news of her gratitude project on Facebook, there was a tremendous response, with people jumping in from all over the country with donations and supplies. All in all, she was able to donate 100 pillows, surpassing her original goal.
Thanks to the kindness of others wanting to come together to support the cause, JWILL Pink Village evolved into a 501c3 nonprofit company. Pillows are distributed nationally and sometimes even internationally. Jen works on the project alongside her full-time job, with a network of volunteers helping around the country.
“It’s not just a one and done,” Jen says, “When we commit to a hospital, we commit.”
JWILL Pink Village gives to the hospital annually, based on how many mastectomies they’re doing in a year. Some hospitals take less than 100 pillows. Some need more than 200 per year.
JWILL Pink Village also throws a huge "Pillow Party' in her town of Superior CO at the community center. Typically, about 80-100 people attend. The event is held in February, celebrating Jen’s “Cancer Free” month. Attendees bring and donate supplies, trace patterns, cut fabric, stuff pillows and sew them closed. Survivors and thrivers attending hand-write the tags that attach to each pillow. Sandy Triplette describes the event as a “crazy, wild three hours of fun and love.”
Looking towards the future, Jen’s ideal is that her project is no longer needed.
“The ultimate goal is that we go out of business, because there’s a cure. That’s the ultimate goal - that’s the end game.”
Until then, Jen hopes to continue to grow to more states, by building relationships within hospitals, finding volunteers in the community and providing ongoing support for hospitals.
There is also the hope to expand to support people battling other types of cancer. When JWILL Pink Village trademarked their logo, they made sure to trademark it not only in breast cancer pink but also did in black and white. That way, they can make their ribbon in any color.
Jen would love to turn that ribbon yellow to support children undergoing cancer treatment. When Jen’s son was younger, she watched his childhood friend battling kidney cancer. Seeing her experience go through chemo, and how she would hug a pillow when they placed her IV during chemotherapy, inspired her to hope to grow and help with childhood cancer.
With a reach across the nation, in her own community, Jen is recognized as ‘The pillow lady.’
“I’m good with that,” Jen says, “I love being known as the pillow lady and I love that recognition that they know me as that, and that’s my small way of bringing more kindness into this world. Never underestimate the power of kindness, or an idea that may really change lives.”