Volunteers create radiation capes for cancer patients

About every six weeks at Aurora Medical Center – Grafton’s cancer center, you’ll find a group of volunteers making capes for cancer patients. The Cape Crusaders make fleece capes primarily for female breast cancer and lung cancer patients to wear for their radiation treatment.

The group is currently made up of six volunteers. Mary Butler is chairperson of the Cape Crusaders and joined the group in 2018. Since then, they’ve made almost 800 capes, averaging about 100 each year.

Many of the Cape Crusaders are either cancer survivors themselves or have been impacted by cancer in some way.

“I joined in 2018, shortly after my younger brother died of colon cancer,” says Butler.

Kelly Jaeger is one of the patients who have been comforted by their capes during treatment.

Jaeger found a lump when she was pregnant in December 2024 and was diagnosed with aggressive, stage 3 breast cancer that had already begun to spread to her lymph nodes.

A few days after her diagnosis, Kelly delivered her son at 36 weeks and began a complex treatment journey including 30 rounds of chemo infusions, a bilateral mastectomy, radiation, physical therapy and more.

As she underwent radiation treatment at Aurora Medical Center – Grafton in October 2025, she was offered a handmade cape by the Cape Crusaders. It provided her with support during her treatment.

“When you’re going through cancer treatment, you really have no idea what to expect,” Jaeger says.

Sara Zamzow, a radiation therapist at Aurora Health Care, works closely with patients who wear these capes and sees firsthand the encouragement the capes provide patients.

“It makes treatment a little bit easier,” says Zamzow.

The Cape Crusaders even include a note with each cape, that says “Made for you, with love, by women who have been where you are now. We wish you well on your journey.”

While these volunteers are helping others, they say it’s rewarding for them and have also found friendship amongst each other.

“In the last eight years, we’ve become close friends. I really love these ladies,” Butler says.

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