In a small church about an hour away from Ottawa, a community of knitters is working to keep the memory of one Canadian war veteran alive.
Sitting at a table covered in colourful balls of yarn, Shirley O'Connell picks up her needles and begins work on the feet of another Izzy doll. Since 2005, the Perth, Ont. resident has made thousands of the tiny dolls named after Master Cpl. Mark Isfeld.
For O'Connell, the knitting is a community-building hobby that also helps fulfill a meaningful pledge she made to Isfeld's mom, Carol, in 2007.
"The night before Carol passed away she had her husband, Brian, contact me to see if I would continue the legacy that she had started in Mark's memory," O'Connell said. "It was important for her to know something so precious to her and her son would continue on, and so I made a promise I would."
Master Cpl. Mark (Izzy) Isfeld served with the 1st Combat Engineering Regiment when he was deployed to Croatia as part of a UN Peacekeeping mission. During his deployment, Isfeld saw many children with no personal belongings, no toys and no home. So, after seeing a doll in the rubble, he asked his mom to make a small toy that he could carry with him and give to the children he bumped into.
"It was something — as a Canadian — she could do, but it brought peace to Mark to be able to give these dolls to the children," O'Connell said. "He became known as the soldier who collected little hearts and handshakes and little smiles."
It is estimated that about two million dolls have been hand-stitched and distributed to kids around the world. Last month, roughly 60 dolls were given to the United Nations Association in Canada who will be taking the dolls to children in Ukraine. (Annie Bergeron-Oliver/CTV News)
On June 21, 1994, at the age of 31, Isfeld was killed in a landmine explosion while serving his country. After his death, his unit asked Isfeld's mom to make more of the dolls so they could distribute them in his honour. The unit named the tiny toys Izzy.
"Everyone was aware of Mark's compassion and how he expressed it," said Rev. Dr. Peter Bartlett, who was Isfeld's officer commanding at the time of his death.
Nearly 30 years later, it is estimated that about two million dolls have been hand-stitched and distributed to kids around the world. Last month, roughly 60 dolls were given to the United Nations Association in Canada who will be taking the dolls to children in Ukraine.
"It is just amazing and speaks so clearly to Mark's heart and his compassion and his sense of service," said Bartlett.
To this day, each doll comes with a tag that says: “IZZY DOLL Made for you with love in memory of Mark Isfeld killed in Kakma, Croatia, June 21st 1994, while removing landmines serving with One Combat Engineer Regiment, United Nations Protection Force."
Izzy doll patterns are available online for free online and the dolls cannot be sold or purchased.
Rideau Park United Church in Ottawa, Compassionate Resources Warehouse in Victoria and Health Partners International in Toronto are among the locations accepting donations of Izzy dolls.
"There is such a need. It never dies out. There is always an interest," O'Connell said. "It's a way of Canadians sending a little love and a little hug to children around the world."
This year, Isfeld's story is being highlighted as part of the Legion's Poppy Stories Initiative that allows people to connect virtually to Canadian veterans when their poppy is scanned on a mobile device.
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