Wrap A Smile Quilts

Another successful mission by Rotaplast International has been completed in Bangladesh.  The volunteer medical teams also treat burn victims and other deformities when their schedule allows.  Whatever the procedure, Wrap-A-Smile quilts add to the comfort of patients of all ages. Thank you again to all the quilters who share their time and skills.  Special thanks to Mike Labrie for sharing his photos. The Labrie family provided a matching grant for this mission, to honor the generous spirit of the late Jim Labrie and his life of service. During his term as Rotary Club President and then District Governor, Jim Labrie was instrumental in introducing Rotaplast to Rotarians through the Northeast. Labrie rose above the challenges posed by his own congenital cleft lip and palate to become a successful local entrepreneur and generous community leader. (credit: Seacoastonline.com. Portsmouth, Feb 2, 2018).

All the patients treated by the Rotaplast volunteer surgeons are reevaluated before heading home (with their quilts!).  Most patients travel by public transportation and some have come very long distances for these life-changing procedures. Enjoy the quilt pictures.  If you look carefully you may see more than one quilt in a picture. (Yes, there's a quilt under there!)  Family often stay with the patient.

Thanks to the inspiration of Terry Hodskins who founded Wrap-A-Smile, almost every patient treated by Rotaplast teams since 2001 has been wrapped in a gift of love and comfort. Thank you to Rotaplast for changing lives, and to Terry for adding joy. Here are some more photos shared by Michael Labrie with the Portsmouth, NH, Rotary team in Sylhet, Bangladesh. These pictures truly warm my heart! Universal love...... Dreams of a brighter future? It takes a community.... Colorful comfort and sweet dreams Quilts add warmth on the operating table Watchful eyes and caring hands

Lots of quilty love is being spread in Bangladesh as the Rotary Club of Portsmouth, NH, works with Rotaplast International, creating new smiles and changing lives.  Team member Michael Labrie has shared these photos which have not appeared in the Rotaplast blog. These photos were all taken early in the mission when parents are full of hope but understandably apprehensive.  Seeing their child wrapped in a colorful quilt goes a long way towards easing that apprehension.  Bridging the language gap, the gift of the quilt is a comforting touch. Wrapped with love A mother's touch Returned from surgery, a brighter future ahead Many caring hands are involved in treatment An older girl chooses her own quilt Wrap-A-Smile quilts are made by quilters from all over the United States.  I hope the quilters who made these beautiful quilts will recognize their creations.  Thank you to all who continue to make Wrap-A-Smile a mission of joy.

My merry packing elves helped me ship off 138 quilted hugs to Rotaplast International this morning. Pete in the Rotaplast warehouse tells me they have enough quilts to "wrap" all their little cleft lip and cleft palate patients through the end of the year, but will hope to have more from us in the new year.  So thank you everyone who sent quilts for this shipment, and let's all keep quilting!! Just for fun, check out this fabulous design on the back of a quilt made by the Concord Piecemakers of Concord, MA

Happiness is returning from an overseas trip and finding boxes of quilts waiting to be opened.  This is more fun than a birthday to enjoy the surprise of what hides inside.  Here are a couple of fun quilts that just arrived, so colorful to comfort a child during and after their surgery. Made by Carol E Made by Louise H After logging in the quilts which came from Minnesota and Florida, the grand total of Wrap-A-Smile quilts created is now 24,905.  I'll be ringing bells when we reach 25,000!! The two quilts pictured here, along with another 150, will be shipped out later this week, on their way  to wrap up a child on the day they receive their new smile. Thank you so much to all our generous quilters.