Originally Posted by geckos42

My daughter came to know a woman in Australia during their respective pregnancies. Their babies were diagnosed at 22 weeks with the same heart defect. Her son died after 26 hours - a week before my granddaughter's birth. I got to know her via the Internet and my daughter. It was heartbreaking. The expectation was that my granddaughter wouldn't survive either. Babies with this anomaly usually die during labor.

I cried for days. As you know, my granddaughter survived, but her upcoming surgery is a reminder of LIFE's fragility.

Anyway, I NEEDED to DO something to support and express my sympathy for this young family. Australia is a LONG way from Arizona. I contacted her and told her I wanted to plant a tree in her son's memory. (I hadn't begun quilting yet.) There's a plaque (I painted) at the base of the tree with "In memory of Connor" on it and a LIVING reminder of a significant, albeit brief life.

I'm not bragging, just sharing that in times of grief sometimes we too need to DO SOMETHING not only for the family, but also for ourselves to work through our own grief.

I find quilting very therapeutic and the hours I spend working on quilts gives me time to think about the recipient and how a quilt brings immeasurable comfort - in MANY ways.

Hope you don't mind me getting off subject.