'Fabric Hugs' Bring Comfort to SCTWC's Patients

Orange and purple stripes patched together with yellow polka dots. Thick cotton fabric is sewn with textures both rugged and warm. On the reverse side, a hand-stitched message reads: May you feel covered with comfort and love.

It can only be a quilt.

Quilters and their loved ones are familiar with the detail that goes into creating timeless works of art, and receiving a handmade quilt is like accepting a gift of love, a "fabric hug." On Saturday, April 25^th, 2009, the patients of Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center, located in Renton, Washington, were the lucky recipients of 33 fabric hugs, donated generously by International quilting group, QuiltPocket. The quilters descended upon the Renton-Holiday Inn for 3 days, armed with fabric swatches, sewing machines and giddy anticipation.

 "When reading the paper in January, I saw an article about a cancer treatment center that treats the whole person," recalled Renton resident and quilter, Yvonne Hamilton. "Late that night, I woke up with a start and realized what we needed to do - it was an instant relief. We would give quilts to people living with cancer."

The group, made up of women from all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, gathers together just once every 2 years but stays in touch via the Internet on a regular basis.  Over the years, they have shared in each other"s personal lives and told their stories through their quilting.  This year, they are remembering a fellow Quilt Pocketeer whose life was lost to cancer. The quilts, made in her honor, are an array of vibrant colors and patterns, a feast for even the untrained eye.

"Jennie"s favorite colors were bright ones. That was her personality," remembered Hamilton tearfully of her friend.

"The quilts are a perfect fit at Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center," stated Marketing and Public Relations Director, Carrie Wallin. "At the Center, we know that surrounding our patients with comfort and compassion while they receive the most innovative medical treatments available will aid in their fight against cancer. We are so grateful for this thoughtful gift."

The Center"s patients agree.

"The colors are so beautiful, and I get cold easily. It just makes me feel better," stated cancer fighter and quilt recipient, Jan Kincaid. She"s been fighting and winning her battle with metastatic breast cancer for over 7 years.

While the QuiltPocketeers were forming their donation plan in January, Kincaid was undergoing surgery to remove cancer that had spread to her brain. She then started chemotherapy at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center, under the supervision of renowned medical oncologist, Nick Chen, M.D. "We can use our thoughts and emotions to help the body heal faster," stated Chen. "The more involved a patient becomes in her treatment, the better she will feel mentally and emotionally." Dr. Chen is an expert at treating complex cancers by targeting the cancer while protecting healthy tissue with specialized chemotherapy techniques. He works with the integrative team at the Center to ease side effects and improve the outcome for patients like Jan Kincaid.

"I feel like a new me," stated Kincaid of the lesson she takes from her latest fight with cancer. "I have always been a mother, taking care of everyone else. Now I am taking care of myself and it feels good."

Taking care of herself also means learning to lean on her family, her husband and her caregivers at the Center. "None of us is guaranteed tomorrow," said Kincaid. "I am learning how to appreciate the person I am today."

The day Jan Kincaid received her quilt was her last day of chemotherapy. She and her husband, Charles, embraced the staff and other patients they had come to know. She left the Center with a fabric hug around her shoulders and a sense of hope for her future.

Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center is an affiliate of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a network of hospitals that integrate oncology with complementary and natural therapies. For more information and cancer-fighting tips, call (206) FOR HOPE (367-4673) or visit www.seattlecancerwellness.com.