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Hello, Julene:
I hope you don't feel I have taken over your life - getting multiple email from me.

5/19/2003 

Hi Terry-

This quilt will go with the November 2003 mission to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  Angelo Capozzi, M.D. will lead the medical team and will serve as head surgeon.

Thanks so much, Terry.

P.S.  My mother was an avid quilter.  I was born and raised in Paducah, Kentuckywhich has a pretty impressive quilt museum.  My father still lives there and tells me there is annual quilter convention every year.  My mother passed away a few years ago and her quilts are among my most valued possessions.  Each child received several after her passing.  It is truly an extraordinary art form.

All the best to you, and thank you for your generous efforts.

Ken

 Ken McKinney

www.rotaplast.org

8/19/2003

Subject: Rotaplast Quilts

Teresa,

My name is John Crane. I just returned from the Rotaplast Mission to Carupano Venezuala. On this trip we took the quilts which your group created. Every quilt was beautiful.

Each patient came to the operating room with just a light gown. The operating rooms are kept very cool (for sanitary reasons as well as comfort). We would cover each child with a quilt, and then with protective surgical drapes. After the surgery they were taken to the recovery room with the quilt, and would wake with their mother by their side, covered with their new quilt.

I know that every family will cherish your gift, for its beauty and as a reminder of a day when strangers came and made something beautiful. Please express these thanks to every person who helped to create and give these gifts. I can only hope that your generosity and kindness will continue to brighten the lives of children around the world.

Yours in Rotary Service

John Crane

Oakhurst Sierra Rotary Club

Oakhurst, California

8/21/2003

Subject: Thank You For The Quilts

Dear Teresa,

My name is Fina Malava, I am a rotarian volunteer who always works with Rotaplast missions here. I work as a volunteer in the Rotarian Hospital and with children with cancer in my city called Barquisimeto.

I was working in Carupano Rotaplast mission and it was such a nice surprise to have the quilts that you and your friends made for the children who had surgery. I never saw before a gift so wonderful, they gave some toys to the kids, but this really was a good gift for them and the mothers. I tell you, they really enjoyed them and were so happy when we said they will be able to take it at home with them. Besides it was a great gift those quilts kept the kids warm because it was too cold inside the operating room and the recovery room.

We are very grateful with you and your friends for taking care of our children. I hope you continue doing this humanitarian and good job. In two weeks we will have another Rotaplast Mission here in my city Barquisimeto. I hope we can have the same nice surprise. I know it is a hard work to do it in a short time, anyway we appreciate all your kindness with our people in need. Thank you very much in the name of this children and their families, be sure every night they are going to enjoy your gift and will feel all love you put in them.

Affectionately,

Fina

Dear Terry,

I am so sorry to be late with this short note and these first photos. Truly your quilts were one of the highlights of the trip. Being able to give something so wonderful to someone who has absolutely nothing is remarkable. There was one family that had 2 small sons, and we operated on both. In the recovery room the mom told me how lucky they felt getting 2 quilts ! Imagine having 2 special needs children and feeling lucky !!

The recovery room nurses loved choosing just the right quilt for each child. These are my very amateur photos. The "professional" ones will be coming to you on a computer CD within about a month.

Again, thank you seems like such a trivial expression. Your gift truly improved the quality of the trip and the quality of life of 100 families.

Your friend,

Sandie

To: Terry Hodskins

Just want you to see your quilts at work.

I tried to explain the quilts to every patient's parents, and to several VIPs on the Chinese side of our mission, who were presented quilts as a token of our appreciation for their efforts (they also spent many hours and money as there are no real Rotarians in China). China's layout TV network CCTV did a documentary on our mission and I think there is a segment on the quilts.

Thank you for the labor of love and the best people-to-people diplomatic gift ever.

Bill Chiang