Quilts provide more than warmth for patients at Grey Nuns Community Hospital
February 13, 2025
By Stephanie Coralie-Odayen, senior advisor, media relations
Linda Schmidt received a special gift — a handmade quilt designed to provide comfort and support — this past Christmas.
“The quilt brightened my spirits so much,” says Linda. “The colours — turquoise and yellow — are my favourites. The border is filled with beautiful, vibrant hues, and the large splashes of colour on top are just stunning.”
Linda was one of 60 patients on the mental health units at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital to receive a quilt over the holiday season. The quilts were provided through Blankets of Love, a program that offers emotional comfort to those facing mental health challenges. Since 2004, the Edmonton-based charity has supported mental health patients across Canada.
Linda Schmidt displays her handmade quilt from the Blankets of Love program.
Founder Sheila Ethier created the Blankets of Love program from her own experience of loss, health issues, including depression, and healing. In 1996, after a difficult hospitalization, she discovered an old quilt made by her grandmother. As she wrapped herself in the soft, worn fabric, memories of her grandmother’s love washed over her, she says.
“(I thought), ‘My grandma made this for me. She loved me. I remember the day she gave it to me. Maybe in time I will heal from depression.”
In that moment, the quilt became more than just fabric — it was a symbol of connection, care and hope, says Sheila. That quilt, her "blanket of love,” brought a wave of comfort and became the seed for a program that would go on to touch thousands of lives, offering others the same sense of belonging and warmth she found in that moment of rest.
Volunteers in the Blankets of Love program find creating and donating quilts therapeutic, knowing their work makes a real difference, says Sheila.
"It’s a beautiful cycle of care, love and generosity, where each act of kindness nurtures both the giver and the receiver. Patients are comforted, and quilters feel joy knowing they’ve brightened someone’s day."
Bringing the program to the Grey Nuns hospital, made possible through a collaboration between hospital staff and the Blankets of Love Foundation for Mental Health, offered patients more than just cozy coverings, says Ashley Anders, recreation therapist for the mental health units at the hospital. She recalls the excitement she saw as the quilts were handed out.
"The emotional reaction from patients was so moving. There was a real stir of happiness, a moment where they realized they were not forgotten."
It’s crucial to show patients that we’re thinking of them, especially during the holidays, Ashley says. For many, it’s a time they feel disconnected from their families. In a hospital, particularly on mental health units, everything can feel cold and impersonal.
“The quilt adds a comforting, homey touch, making their stay a bit more bearable and offering a sense of normalcy that’s often lost in a place like this. Allowing patients to choose the quilt they connect with makes the gift feel more personal. One patient even said they slept under their quilt that night and described it as ‘so comfortable.’”
As Christmas Day came to a close at the Grey Nuns hospital, the mental health units were filled with patients like Linda wrapped in their new quilts, some sitting quietly, others smiling or even in tears, says Ashley. “One patient in a secure unit said, ‘I’ve never gotten a Christmas gift. This means so much to me.’”
Seeing the quilts in action highlighted the true meaning of Christmas, says Ashley. It wasn’t about the presents or decorations, but about showing people they’re loved, especially when they feel most alone.
Linda is grateful for the gift of her quilt. A quilter herself, she has made lap quilts for her adult children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She now promises to create quilts for others once she’s well again, continuing the cycle of care and love.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she says.