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Twin quilts--stories to be told
Romayne A Thompson1, Marlene H Frost, Teresa A Allers
1Women's Cancer Program, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Charlton Building 6-119, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. thompson.romayne@mayo.edu
Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery
|October 15, 2003
Summary
Quilt making offers a unique avenue for individuals affected by breast cancer (patients, friends, family) to express their experiences. Analysis of 80 quilt blocks revealed that honoring a loved one's journey was the most common theme.
Area of Science:
- Arts and Humanities
- Social Sciences
- Health and Medicine
Background:
- Quilt design is a recognized form of personal communication.
- Breast cancer affects patients, friends, and relatives, necessitating supportive communication methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore quilt making as a medium for individuals affected by breast cancer to communicate their experiences.
- To develop a collaborative quilt design incorporating patient and community contributions.
Main Methods:
- A community-based quilt-making project was designed for breast cancer survivors and their support networks.
- Participants created 80 quilt blocks, with 36 individuals providing written narratives (vignettes) about their inspiration.
- Analysis of the vignettes identified recurring themes.
Main Results:
- The most prevalent theme among the 36 written contributions was honoring an individual's life and their breast cancer journey.
- The collaborative quilts, displayed with their narratives, served as interaction points for patients and families.
Conclusions:
- Quilt making provides a powerful, non-verbal and verbal, platform for processing and communicating experiences related to breast cancer.
- This project fostered community engagement and offered a therapeutic outlet for breast cancer patients and their families.