Volunteers sew unique hospital gowns for terminally ill

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) - Pinned to a hand-made hospital gown was a poem written by Deborah Zent: "The quilted gown before us represents the lives we knew. The patterns and the colors of those we bid adieu. Until time fades away, those loved gone from our sight, we hope to cover with dignity with fabric warm and bright."

The gown was made up of unique patches of cut fabric, sewn together to create a montage of bright colors, mixing animal print, shapes and patterns to tell a story.

Each patch having belonged to a hospice patient who had received a custom-made hospital gown very much unlike the plain gowns offered at many hospitals.

These gowns were unique. They were made with love by volunteers hoping to bring joy, comfort and a bit of individuality to those who are terminally ill.

"I really believe God spoke to my heart," said Deb Zent, creator of "In Stitches With Deb," a ministry, as Zent calls it, to bring beautifully unique hospital garments to patients in hospice care at St. Vincent Hospital in Kokomo.

The idea for the tailored gowns came to Zent over three years ago when she was working at St. Vincent Hospice as a nurse practitioner.

While shadowing another nurse, Zent met Gwen and Russell Kelly. Russell was currently in hospice, with his wife Gwen by his side. And Zent noticed something very different about Russell's hospice clothes.

"I noticed he wasn't in a regular shirt," Zent said.

A passionate sewer, Gwen customized her husband's clothes to resemble hospital gowns, Zent said.

By sewing the fronts of his shirts together, adding a spilt to the back along with a waist tie, Gwen said it made her husband much more comfortable knowing he was wearing his own clothes instead of something given to him by the hospital.

This gave Zent an idea.

With her her husband and son supporting her, the Zent family took off sewing unique fabric in to hospital gowns for patients in hospice care at St. Vincent. That was over three years ago. Since then, the ministry has grown to include help from the community in creating these one-of-a-kind gowns.

The first "In Stitches With Deb" event welcomed over 150 people on Jan. 9. In the basement of St. Joan of Arc Catholic, volunteers brought fabric, sewing machines and material, and donated their time creating specialized gowns to comfort those who are under end-of-life care.

The response to the ministry has been overwhelmingly good, with hospice care facilities across the country adopting the idea.

And, at the second event, which was held Saturday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Zent was able to reflect on the impact this ministry has had on many people all over the country.

"It not only blesses the recipients, but it blesses the people who are here," Zent said.

And many of the people volunteering to create these gowns have their own stories. Either as a patient, or loved one of the terminally ill.

Like Karen Lopke, who is an avid sewer, a nurse for 53 years and is fighting her third battle with cancer.

"I know firsthand how patients feel when they have to put on that butt awful-looking gown that everybody wears," Lopke said. "During this time in their journey, they're just wearing a gown. And when that is so depressing to where it's so bland, it's so generic, and if we can just bring a little bit of light and color to a person, it's just overwhelming."

By creating a specialized garment, whether it has baseballs on it for a sports fan, or bright colors just to lighten the mood of a patient, the impact of this ministry has been resounding.

"It's a good feeling," said Patricia Farran, clinical manager for Hospice at St. Vincent. "It's something we give the patient, and they don't have to give anything to get it. I think they really just appreciate the fact that others care."

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Source: Kokomo Tribune, http://bit.ly/2a0yDCA

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com