Kay-Marie Hinton’s husband Garry was receiving end-of-life care for a rare type of brain tumor when a nurse placed a bright handmade quilt over his hospital bed.
Hinton, 62, said the simple act of kindness brought color and peace to the otherwise bleak and sterile hospital environment.
“The fact that someone cared about him and thought about him,” she said.
”It was such a comfort…instead of cold, white hospital sheets and hospital blankets, they covered him with something so beautiful.”
Kay-Marie Hinton and her husband Garry and Quilt at Manning Hospital. (Provided by: Kay-Marie Hinton)
In late December, Mr Hinton died at the age of 70 at Tully’s Manning Hospital on the NSW Mid-North Coast.
The quilt is now set to become a family heirloom and is already on the crib, ready for the birth of Hinton’s new grandchild.
Kaymarie Hinton said the quilt given to her late husband will be used for her grandson, who is due to be born in March. (Provided by: Kay-Marie Hinton)
“It was one of the last things we shared that wasn’t hospital related,” Hinton said.
“Being able to bring it home was the greatest thing ever.”
Beyond clinical care
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This quilt was created as part of a program known as “Ray of Sunshine Quilts.”
The initiative began in 2015 when a nurse placed a bright patchwork quilt on a patient’s bed and noticed how it uplifted patients and visitors.
Sally Drury, then head of Manning Hospital’s palliative care unit, wondered if she could give every patient on the unit a handmade quilt.
She contacted the Tully Craft Club, and then-president Pam Abe helped secure support from three quilting clubs on the lower Mid North Coast.
Pam Abe (center), her husband Alan, and Colleen Brown, president of Tully Craft Center, helped launch the project. (ABC News: Emma Ciosian)
Recently, the total number of quilt donations to the project exceeded 2,000.
“It’s amazing. I didn’t expect the project to last this long,” Abe said.
Donna Nicholson, current nursing unit manager for cancer and palliative care services at Manning Hospital, said the quilts were cherished by patients and their families and helped soften the sterile hospital environment.
Donna Nicholson said the handmade quilts make the hospital’s sterile environment feel less sterile. (ABC News: Emma Ciosian)
“We try to choose quilts for individuals, and we usually have the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with patients and their families,” she said.
”Quilts have a huge impact on families, serving as keepsakes and attachments to loved ones.”
Gold Coast resident Tania Yarnold’s father Peter Lavender also received a handmade quilt while receiving palliative care in Taree last year.
Yarnold said her father treasured the quilt and that it continued to provide comfort to his mother, Christine Lavender, more than six months after his father’s death.
Beloved dog Knisa spent time with Peter Lavender, lying in his quilt while he received palliative care. (Provided by: Tania Yarnold)
“My mother took it to the funeral home and slept with it at night,” she said.
”To this day, she sits and holds that quilt and runs it through her fingers when she’s having a bad day.”
Made with love
This project is supported by Midcoast Community Quilters, Tully’s Town and Country Quilters, and Old Bar’s Dolphin Quilters, and provides quilters with a sense of creative purpose.
Thousands of quilts have been donated over the past decade. (ABC News: Emma Ciosian)
Julie Lawrence of Town and Country Quilters created the quilt that Garry Hinton received and was thrilled to hear about its positive impact.
“We love doing it and it feels really special when we get feedback.”
she said.
The largest recurring donation, 100 quilts per year, comes from MidCoast Community Quilters.
They gather to sew at the Naviack home of Jenny Fletcher, who dedicates most of her home to quilting.
Jenny Fletcher says she loves making quilts for others and connecting with other quilters. (ABC News: Emma Ciosian)
“I’m a widow and I have a lot of room, so I got rid of the lounge. Who needs a lounge?” she said with a laugh.
The group of about 20 women also donates quilts to other causes, but they have no plans to pack up the patchwork right away, she said.
“We started keeping track of donated quilts in 2016. Over 10 years, we donated 5,095 quilts.”
she said.
Donated quilts ready to give to palliative care patients. (Provided by: Alan Abe)
“When I hear how quilts have affected people, it makes me want to sew a little more.”
Ms Fletcher said making a quilt for a child in palliative care could be “daunting”.
“I want to make it the best it can be, using the brightest colors, and I put a lot of love into it.”
she said.
Palliative Care Australia national project director Chelsea Menchin said similar community quilt projects were underway across Australia, providing “comfort, dignity and a sense of personal care”.
Annette Davis, second generation quilter with MidCoast Community Quilters in Nabiac; (ABC News: Emma Ciosian)
“These efforts highlight how community-led non-clinical support can improve quality of life at the end of life,” she said.
Hinton said it’s nice to know that other families will experience the same acts of kindness that she and Hinton received when they need it most.
“I hope it shows these girls how important they are to people and the impact they have on their families,” she said.