Donor quilt unveiled in Sisters

The Threads of Life Quilt was unveiled in Sisters last week.

Tears flowed freely as the fourth Threads of Life Quilt was unveiled at The Stitchin' Post Friday night, April 12.

The 57 hand-crafted squares represented precious lives, some who donated organs, others who were recipients of the life-giving gifts.

Sisters was the third stop of six on the quilt's tour of Oregon. Recipients and donor's families traveled all the way from Washington and Idaho to view the quilt they helped create.

"Our goal is to help educate communities about the Oregon Donor Program," said Mary Jane Hunt, Executive Director of the program. "This is the fourth panel, or quilt, we've completed. The first was unveiled in 1997 in Salem, and we already have seven squares for our fifth quilt."

Alice McHugh of Sisters made a square for the fourth panel and works as a volunteer for the Oregon Donor Program.

Her son, John McAdoo died in 1993 and his family decided to donate his tissue to the program.

"We wanted something good to come out of John's life," she said. "When we leave this earth, our bodies turn to dust. But if we can do something that totally changes someone else's life, then we should do it."

John donated two corneas, a heart valve, skin, and bone marrow. McHugh knows of at least five recipients who benefited from her son's gift.

"One of his corneas went to an eight-year-old girl in eastern Oregon," she said. "She's written us two of the sweetest letters."

McHugh believes making the quilt square helped her work through the grieving process.

"It brought back some memories -- and some tears -- but it felt kind of final when I was finished," she said.

Donor family and recipient identities are kept anonymous, but recipients are encouraged by the Organ Donor program to write letters to the donor families in care of the program.

Sometimes the two parties express a desire to meet, and the Organ Donor program helps facilitate the encounter.

Ruth Airth's quilt square is simple and to the point:

"Thank U for the kidney" is embroidered across the fabric.

Airth received a kidney transplant in 1999, after waiting a relatively short time for the operation.

All she knew about her donor was that the kidney came from a woman in Pennsylvania.

"One of the hardest letters I ever had to write was to that family," Airth said. "My joy was this family's sadness."

All quilt squares submitted are used in the quilts.

The only specifications are that the squares be an eight-inch square, allowing for a half-inch border.

Students and healthcare workers are also encouraged to create and submit quilts.

Finished squares should be sent to:

Oregon Donor Program, P.O. Box 532 Portland, OR 97207-0532.

For more information about the Threads of Life Quilt, contact Mary Jane Hunt at the Oregon Donor Program, 1-800-452-1369.