Handmade with a purpose

Homewood teacher Rachel Paden was forced to give up teaching as the pain and fatigue of autoimmune disease Sjоgren’s Syndrome worsened.

“Leaving the classroom left a big hole in my heart,” Paden said. “It has taken me two years to find a way to fill that hole.”

But fill the hole is what Paden did with materials such as clay and turquoise she fashions into jewelry. Through SJО COMPASSION on e-commerce website Etsy, Paden sells her creations and donates half the proceeds to the Sjоgren’s Syndrome Foundation for research and awareness.

“I never really know what the final product will look like until it is finished,” Paden said. “Every time I create a new piece, it is like a surprise party for me.”

For Paden, it is not about making a profit. In fact, the extra money that is left after the donations to the Sjоgren’s Syndrome Foundation will be donated to an organization that helps children living in poverty.

“I have been so blessed in this life, and in return I want to be a blessing to others,” Paden said.

According to Paden’s doctors, there is no known cure for Sjоgren’s Syndrome. In addition to providing unique handmade jewelry, Paden said she wants to educate people about Sjоgren’s.

“Extreme fatigue is my most bothersome symptom,” Paden said. “I rarely leave my house alone because I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to get back without assistance.”

With each purchase, Paden encloses a brochure from the Sjоgren’s Syndrome Foundation along with the jewelry before shipping. This gives the buyer an opportunity to learn more about the syndrome and hopefully pass the information on to others.

“Many pieces of art I design, I do so with Sjоgren’s in mind,” Paden said. “I have used clay with sprinkles of sand added before baking to represent the dryness from Sjоgren’s, or add a teardrop bead or other teardrop designs to represent moisture.”

Sjоgren’s patients are constantly having to replenish the moisture in their eyes and mouth, and are extremely sensitive to light.

“My eye drops and a hat are two things I absolutely cannot afford to be without,” She admitted.

Although she has become a victim of this syndrome that has taken away her ability to lead a normal life, Paden does not let it get her down. With a remarkable joy about life and giving to others, she finds ways to turn her negative symptoms into positives by collecting the beads she drops due to a shaky hand and creates works of art she calls her “Up-Off-The-Floor” pieces.

Paden’s daughter, Jessica Kime, also has a shop on Etsy called A Simple Kind Of Fancy, where she too makes jewelry.

“Jessica has helped me so much through everything. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter or a better person to dedicate my jewelry to,” Paden said.

For more information on Sjоgren’s Syndrome, visit sjogrens.org.