Billings high school 4-H students hand-stitch quilts for cancer patients receiving treatment

According to Jessy Catt, an infusion registered nurse at Billings Clinic, hand-stitched quilts provide patients warmth, support, and security, as they enter into a new, and sometimes scary, life chapter.

"I see patients hold their quilt, and finger the stitching, and just really connect to it," Catt said Friday. "They bring 'em back for treatment over and over again. They pass them down to their families in the harder situations where (the patient) moves on."

Catt says before patients begin their first infusion treatment, they will receive a quilt, which often corresponds with the patient's identity and interests.

"You've just gotten this diagnosis that is really terrifying and we're going to give you medication that is going to help you, but will also make you feel not well," she said. "You can make that kind of individual quilt and bring it in, and we will find a patient that it makes sense for."

According to Catt, some weeks the clinic receives up to ten new cancer patients, and some weeks there's only one new cancer patient. However, they all receive a unique quilt. The quilts that the Billings Clinic gives to patients are often hand-stitched and donated from the community.

After Senior High School student Brooklyn Kuhr watched her own family experience cancer treatment, Kuhr said she wanted to help provide a form of emotional therapy to newly diagnosed cancer patients.

"(In) 2023, my grandpa, Chuck, passed away because of cancer," she said. "It's hard to see 'em go through it, but I'm very thankful that the treatment has helped the people it has helped."

For the past year, Kuhr, her family, and other Senior High School 4-H students have been working on unique, gender-inclusive, quilts for cancer patients at Billings Clinic.

"It gives me something to be proud of. Like, I mean 4-H is something you can be involved in, but it depends on how much effort you put in," Kuhr said.

Kuhr and the 4-H students have stitched about 15 quilts since starting the project. Each quilt has a tag that says, "Quilted by Yellowstone County 4-H," and a velour inner lining to make the patient more comfortable. Each quilt takes about four to five days to make.