Speed Reads

It wasn't all bad

99-year-old woman sews dozens of dresses for orphans in Puerto Rico

Martha Heft lives in Clearwater, Florida, but her handmade dresses, blankets, and quilts are keeping orphans warm in Puerto Rico and Haiti.

Heft, 99, first learned how to sew when she was just five years old. After seeing the destruction that Hurricane Maria caused in Puerto Rico, Heft and some other members of her church got to work, creating 60 dresses for the Regraso de Paz orphanage in Aguadilla. Attached to the dresses, which were delivered by Heft's granddaughter and grandson-in-law, were notes with inspiring messages, including, "Smile because we love you."

Heft told The Miami Herald her sewing spree isn't over yet. "As long as God grants me life and health, I'm happy to do this," she said. "I just wish I had a little bit more speed."