Archive: January 2008
Missing Memorial Quilt Found
The beautifully hand-sewn quilt, its squares representing the lives of babies who had died from Sudden Infant Death Sydrome (SIDS), was recently discovered in a Housing New Zealand house in Fordlands. Tenancy manager Michelle Tiriana said the quilt was in pristine condition when it was found in the ceiling.
“I was puzzled as it looked like someone’s treasured quilt.” Determined to track down the owner, Michelle and the Daily Post newspaper in Rotorua embarked on a voyage of discovery, which took them from Rotorua to Hamilton to New Plymouth to Tauranga, and finally to Auckland where contact was made with the SIDS national office. There, the Daily Post spoke with Margaret Free, national coordinater for SIDS, who couldn’t believe what she was hearing when asked if she knew anything about the quilt. It turned out the quilt had been missing for 10 years.
There was a feeling of great loss and sadness when the quilt went missing. Each square was placed there by a family in memory of their child who had died from SIDS. The squares, which cover a 30-year period, memorialise 100 babies. The handing back of the quilt was a very emotional experience for Michelle and Margaret. Margaret and her granddaughter Leah made the journey from Auckland to Rotorua to collect the quilt and take it back to the people who were involved in its making 10 years ago. They have since decided to take the quilt, and its long lost story, to an international SIDS conference in the United Kingdom next year.
By Stuart Greenshields