Making charity quilts and distributing them to needy organizations throughout the Mesa area has been a part of the Las Sendas Quilt Club since 2005, with AZ Blankets 4Kids, House of Refuge and Taft Elementary School quilt recipients in past years.
Recently, on behalf of the Las Sendas Quilters, Cheri Maniz, Karen Plante and Audrey Good delivered 23 beautiful handmade quilts to Phoenix’s Ryan House.
Learning about the need for welcoming quilts for children with life-threatening conditions through a newspaper article, we called to find out more about Ryan House and how the club could help.
Located in Central Phoenix, Ryan House is a non-profit children’s hospice home, the only such facility in the Southwest. Alexandra Paul, development coordinator, welcomed the opportunity to explain the services at Ryan House, guided by the principles of pediatric palliative care. This philosophy of comfort care addresses not only physical pain, but also emotional, spiritual and social needs of the child and family. The mission is to provide essential care in a home-like setting where children with life-threatening conditions and their families may come for respite and, as needed, end of life care.
The home-like setting greets you at the door. A warm family/great room includes a library, reading corners, comfy sofas and open views to the outdoors. Each of eight children’s bedrooms opens to a playground area and has accommodations for a family member, friend, or sibling to stay if they wish. Rooms for hydrotherapy, sensory development, music, crafts, as well as a wheelchair accessible playground and patio all say kids. Families also have bedrooms, a living room and reflection rooms to help them cope with the challenges they face.
To welcome every child staying at Ryan House, a quilt is placed on each bed. That quilt goes home with the child upon leaving. These quilts become special to each child and their families in different ways, and are a special, personal memory of their stay.
Learn more about this very special place called Ryan House. Visit the Web site at www.ryanhouse.org.