Originally Posted by hikingquilter

2 years ago my daughter, then 22 and in college, was in a car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She was left with several cognitive obstacles to overcome. She had always been very athletic and an honor student. It was difficult for her to accept that her brain wouldn't work the way it used to. She had memory problems, aphasia, balance and coordination problems, and became depressed. One day she came with me to the LQS and was instantly drawn to the batiks. She said she wanted to make a quilt. She had never sewn before. She picked out several FQs and one fabric to pull them together. We decided to use HSTs. Each evening I would give her instructions and she would work on it during the day while was at work. (She couldn't decipher written instructions at the time.) The quilt turned out beautifully. It was her own pattern and is reversable (her idea, too!). It was wonderful therapy for her. It helped her re-learn to follow directions, re-built her self-confidence and overcome depression. She's hooked now. She made a quilt for her friend's 2yr old daughter and a handbag for a friend. She's become a fabric-aholic like me too! By the way, she doing very well today. Back in school (with a little help from student services), volunteering at Shriners and looking forward to working with other young people in medical re-hab.