COEUR d'ALENE - A chance meeting between two Coeur d'Alene residents, Amy Ford and Mike Burton, ended up as a case study in how love, and a crochet hook, can affect someone thousands of miles away.

Ford is a single mother of four who is working on two master's degrees. In addition her educational pursuits and raising her kids, Ford has developed a passion for Africa and said her ultimate goal is to start a clinic for women.

She has made six trips to the continent and her most recent trip to Zambia was the only one where she visited the same country twice.

"My heart is definitely over there," Ford said. "I definitely have a deep peace within myself when I'm over there. My children are a huge support system for this; it's the longest I'm ever away from my children. They're understanding and their hearts are growing for Africa as well."

Ford said she often receives compliments about her efforts overseas. But without the efforts and support of the people of Coeur d'Alene, Ford said, none of her work would be possible.

"I kind of look at these trips as a box of puzzle pieces," Ford said. "When you start putting a puzzle together most people start with the outsides, the framework. I consider all my friends and children that structure. I get there and I find myself as one of those small puzzle pieces inside along with the people I encounter in Africa. All those pieces put together form this amazing picture in the end."

Ford added that Burton is one of those puzzle pieces.

As an adult developmental therapist, Burton helps those with disabilities become more independent in their daily lives. One of his clients exercises regularly at the Kroc Center, and while Burton waits he can often be found crocheting.

He said he discovered his knack for the craft when taking care of his wife, who developed complications while she was pregnant with her son. Burton said her heart was enlarged so much she needed a heart pump installed in order to keep blood flowing through her system until she received a transplant in 2009.

"I actually quit my job so I could take care of her and my son," Burton said. "I needed something to do that I could take with me and just be busy."

Initially Burton tried knitting, which he said was something his mother taught him as a child, but he couldn't wrap his head around it.

"She (Burton's mom) taught us how to sew and do all of these kinds of domestic things so when we were sent out into the world we wouldn't be useless," Burton said. "But one day my mom had a crocheting hook sitting there and I asked her if I could use it. I looked online for instructions and it just came naturally."

Ford saw Burton crocheting what she called 'amazing creations' while she was leaving classes she takes at the Kroc Center.

"It's not too often that you see a grown man crocheting," Ford said. "It's a very unique talent."

She became intrigued by the man, particularly because in past trips to Africa she had seen just how much the gift of a blanket could mean to someone. Her curiosity about Burton's crocheting projects built and built until Ford said she finally sat down next to the man and introduced herself.

"He showed me some of his work and I just kind of threw it out there," Ford said. "I asked him if he would be interested in making a few blankets for me to take over. He said he would love to do that."

"It was a short amount of time," Burton said of his crocheting efforts prior to Ford's September trip to Zambia. "So I made quite a few washcloths and several blankets."

With her bags overflowing with Burton's creations as well as donations from other Coeur d'Alene residents, Ford began her three-week journey in Zambia. Pregnant women in the country often walk for countless miles, sometimes while in labor, to get to medical centers. Ford volunteered at one of those centers and was able to hand out the washcloths and blankets Burton made to some of the new mothers.

"They think it's Christmas. Their eyes light up and their smile is from ear to ear," Ford said. "It's just a huge blessing to them. A lot of the time these blankets end up being handed down from generation to generation."

When she returned from Zambia, Ford was able to show Burton pictures she took of the newborns wrapped up tightly in his creations. He said those photographs put a huge grin on his face.

"It seems like a very small gesture to me to make a blanket or make a washcloth out of something that I already had at home," Burton said. "But to the people that are receiving it, it's like the world to them."

While Ford hasn't begun planning her next trip to Africa yet, she said she does plan on once again recruiting Burton to make more blankets.

"I'll know about it earlier this time and I'll be able to make more," Burton said.