Doylestown, PA – Doylestown Health Hospice Bereavement Program’s Tightly Bound Book Group (TBBG) presented and dedicated a quilt entitled, “The Ties That Bind Us” to the hospital in honor of their journey that began when the group was founded in 2020.
The story of the quilt, displayed on the hospital’s first floor in the north lobby, begins in March of 2020, when Doylestown Health Hospice Bereavement formed an online book group that would allow those navigating the painful journey of grief to connect amidst the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group met weekly via Zoom to discuss a book, as well as ideas, feelings, and remembrances of their loved ones.
“Over time, through our chosen books and with each other's support, our stories tumbled out. We were strangers no more. We embraced a name, ‘The Tightly Bound Book Group,’ which recognized our preciously formed connections to one another,” said JoyceAnn Heley, a member of The Tightly Bound Book Group.
“One of our discussions led to the idea of creating a piece of remembrance art,” Heley recalls. The quilt, entitled, “The Ties That Bind Us,” was created from the ties and textiles of loved ones in honor of all who have suffered a loss. It became an outward symbol of the transformational journey the group experienced through the book group. “Just as the ties of our beloveds became books touching each other on the shelves of the quilt, we became friends touching each other’s lives through our shared losses. As each transformed tie binds us, this quilt forever honors our precious loved ones,” Heley said.
“This collaborative endeavor by the members of the TBBG has been a labor of love since its beginning. The project and the quilt speak to the power of community, the bonds of friendship and everlasting love,” said Doylestown Health Hospice Bereavement Coordinator Celia M. R. Blum, MSW, LCSW.
“We are delighted to gift this quilt to Doylestown Hospital as a lasting legacy to all who have suffered a loss and to the hospital that has and continues to support the Bereavement Program and its mission,” Blum added.
Bereavement support is an integral part of the ongoing care offered by Doylestown Health Hospice. The bereavement program offers a comprehensive program of support and services for individuals grieving a new loss. In accordance with Doylestown Health’s mission of service, the program’s priorities include support and service not only to Doylestown Health Hospice bereaved families, but to the broader community as well. Doylestown Health Hospice Bereavement programs offer a wide array of choices to address each person’s individual needs at a most challenging time. A dedicated staff and volunteers are here to support the bereaved and their families as they begin to navigate a challenging new normal. Learn more at https://www.doylestownhealth.org/bereavement, or by contacting Doylestown Health Hospice’s Bereavement Coordinator, at Cassie.Portock@PennMedicine.upenn.edu or 215.345.2079.
About Doylestown Health
Doylestown Health is a comprehensive healthcare system of inpatient, outpatient, and wellness education services connected to meet the health needs of the local and regional community. The flagship of Doylestown Health is Doylestown Hospital, a not-for-profit, community teaching hospital with 245 beds and a medical staff of more than 600 providers who deliver the highest quality care in over 50 specialties. Renowned locally, regionally, and nationally, Doylestown Hospital provides superior healthcare and offers advanced surgical procedures, innovative medical treatments, and comprehensive specialty services. Serving Bucks County for over 100 years, Doylestown Hospital is proud to educate and train the next generation of physicians through its family medicine residency program. Ranked as one of the World’s Best Hospitals by Newsweek and 9th in Pennsylvania, Doylestown Hospital is distinguished in both infection prevention and patient experience. Doylestown Hospital is the only hospital in Pennsylvania to achieve 18 consecutive ‘A’ grades for patient safety from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. Learn more at doylestownhealth.org.