Every day Good Samaritan Society – Manson resident Linda Mack has her great grandma, grandma and mother to keep her warm.
Mack has lived at the 42-bed skilled nursing facility in Manson, IA, since 2019, after a stroke partially paralyzed her. She had loved to sew, working for 15 years for a tailor, before the stroke.
“Taking in pants, hemming pants, hemming skirts, wedding dresses, drapes, you name it, I did it,” Mack said.
Before the stroke, Mack had made one half of a quilt using scraps of clothing from herself, her mother, her grandma and her great grandma, but she was unable to finish it due to the paralysis.
She mentioned the project to Manson activities director Cassie Darr, and how she’d love to complete it with a backing. Darr had a home economics background and some skill with a sewing machine, so with Mack’s help pinning the backing, the pair completed the quilt Oct. 26.
Mack uses the quilt as a cover for her paralyzed arm because it gets cold. When she’s not using it, it lays on her bed. She hopes to expand it to bed-size after she finds more clothing scraps.
Darr said there was no expense to the facility, only the time she spent with Mack. Because Mack is still able to do quite a bit of independent activity, the project was a way for her to interact, Darr said.
“She does a lot of activities in her room because she’s still able to pursue them,” said Darr. “She’s wanted to do a lot more stuff with others. It gave her a sense of belonging. She never thought she’d be able to do it again, so being able to help even a little has been amazing for her.”
When asked whose clothing makes up the scraps on the quilt, Mack choked up, whispering their names.
“It helps me remember them,” she said.
