There are memories and stories associated with quilts. “Quilts are a symbol of comfort, peace, and love,” says Sally Wilmoth, who created the “Pathways to Healing” quilt for Fort Hamilton Hospital’s new emergency room.
Sally, executive assistant to Mark Smith at Fort Hamilton Hospital, has been making quilts for over 40 years and has a special interest in the history and tradition of quilting. Her quilts have been featured in tours throughout the country and even the world. This is Sally’s first quilt to be displayed in an emergency room.
After scouring dozens of books and magazines, Sally found the perfect quilt pattern and spent the next several months—over 100 hours—making the quilt in time for the emergency room opening. The design features vines and stitches weaving across the quilt, showing that “there are many pathways a person can take in their life; when you are healed, you are taking that pathway for healing,” says Sally.
An emergency room can often be a place of stress and uncertainty for employees and patients alike. When patients come looking for healing and peace, Sally hopes the quilt brings a feeling of home.