SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The Yellowknife Quilters Guild is adding new meaning to the word comforter.

Aurora College nursing instructor Matthew Smith, student Tiio Cli, Deborah Clunie, paediatric nurse Sherry Connors, paediatric nurse Vivian Silverio, student Justine Volk, Shayna Young, Crissa Chung, and Raylene Porter hold up quilts donated to Stanton Territorial Hospital by the Yellowknife quilters guild. - photo courtesy of Shauna Henry

Last year the guild started knitting quilts to give to patients at Stanton Territorial Hospital and since then they have made more than a dozen.

"We've just kept on going," said Connie Dentinger, president of the guild.

Guild member Liane Ohrling also works at the hospital as a registered nurse in the operating room.

"(Ohrling) had come to me and said that (the guild) had made some quilts and that they would like to donate them," said Shauna Henry, clinical coordinator for pediatrics at the hospital. "They brought in six quilts and they were absolutely beautiful."

The quilts were given to patients staying in pediatrics who varied in age from youths

to seniors.

"Some time kids get medivacted out of their communities so it's nice for them to have something of their own, something that they can cuddle," said Ohrling.

She said the quilts also served a keepsake.

"We did have a woman who had a family member who passed away," said Ohrling. "She had some reminder of him and said that wrapping herself in his quilt was like getting a hug from him."

Henry said it is evident how much work and love goes into these gifts, adding that many get emotional when given a quilt.

"There is so much work that goes into these," she said.

Quilters guild member Ruth Adamchick said on average it takes one month of her free time to knit a quilt.

"It's always a highlight to do charity work," said Adamchick.

The group has also donated quilts to the Aven Cottages dementia care facility. This year Adamchick said the group is focusing on doing more charity work.

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