On Thursday, February 24, Bonnie Jean Esterly, Muriel Fallon, Lea Rich, Pam Taylor and Judy Schlank
presented three new quilts, including the group's 200th quilt (center of photo), to David Ottati, Florida Hospital Flagler CEO, and John Subers, Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation and Marketing Administration Director. It has taken the ladies nearly four years to sew the 200 quilts.
A self-taught quilter for more than 20 years, Taylor has since turned her house into a full-service quilting shop – the house’s second master suite is now the quilting room.
"Quilts are comforting for both the patients and their families,” Taylor said. “Sometimes it means more to the family members [than the actual patient] to see their loved ones wrapped in a colorful, warm quilt, rather than a cold, hospital-issued blanket.”
Taylor certainly understands the hospice mission; her father was once a hospice patient.
“He was a patient at Florida Hospital Flagler and needed in-patient hospice care before the local Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House was built,” she said. “After he passed and the Hospice House was built, I knew I wanted to get involved in volunteering. I’ve been volunteering in some fashion ever since the House opened.”
Because of her involvement with Florida Hospital HospiceCare, Taylor can appreciate the varying needs of hospice patients.
“We make the size of the quilts to fit whatever the needs are of the patient – those in wheelchairs, hospital beds, or whatever their specific needs may be,” she said.
JoAnne King, Florida Hospital HospiceCare Administrative Director, said she is honored to be associated with this group of ladies.
“It gives me such joy to see these community members supporting other community members – people they may never even get a chance to meet,” said King. “They may not know anything about who receives these quilts, but they do it anyway.”
About Florida Hospital HospiceCare
Florida Hospital HospiceCare, a division of Florida Hospital Flagler and Adventist Health System, is the area’s only faith based, not-for-profit hospice organization accredited by The Joint Commission. Florida Hospital HospiceCare has provided a “special kind of care” to the residents of Volusia and Flagler Counties facing life-limiting illnesses and injuries since 1996. With an interdisciplinary team of hospice-trained specialists, Florida Hospital HospiceCare provides services to those in need, whether the patient is in their own homes, or in one of the Florida Hospital HospiceCare inpatients units designed for acute care. For more information on Florida Hospital HospiceCare, call our administrative office at 386-671-2138 or 1-800-404-1133 or visit http://www.fhhospicecare.org.