TAMPA, Fla. — A 97-year-old Dunedin woman is brightening the lives of thousands of Bay area residents with her unique creations.

Helen Cantonis Campbell makes small dolls that are given to nursing homes, assisted living centers, police departments and fire departments.

Cantonis Campbell spends countless hours at her home making the dolls. She uses her imagination to come up with many different variations.

“I just look at the material and it comes to me,” she said.

She spent decades as a seamstress. That’s something that runs in her family. Her father was a tailor, and her mother was a seamstress as well. Cantonis Campbell said she came up with the idea for the dolls when she was no longer working as a seamstress. She was depressed and prayed for something to give her life a purpose.

“One day I’ll just make wings,” Cantonis Campbell said. “Or one day just make hats. Or one day I’ll make heads. So that way I’ll stay ahead of the game.”

Cantonis Campbell has a group of volunteers that take her dolls to the various locations.

“So, for me, that’s for the doll is to bring some joy that somebody does care for you,” she said.

Yvonne Woods is one of Cantonis Campbell’s volunteers. She is inspired by Helen’s creative ways of using even used fabrics or corn husks. “All of them are beautiful. People will bring her tablecloths or old prom gowns. She’s actually used wedding dresses that people have discarded.”

In many cases, Cantonis Campbell attaches small cards with prayers on them to the dolls to add some extra inspiration.

“When somebody sends you a thank you, you go OK Lord. I’ll keep going. I got the message,” she said. Cantonis Campbell plans to keep going as long as she is able. Even joking that she may have to finish some of her dolls in heaven.