Jake G's quilt    (Quilt Completed)

Thank you

My boy Jake just loves the quilt made for him. He arrived home from school and was excited to see the quilt waiting for him. He just kept looking at it square after square taking it all in. When I asked what he thought he just kept saying “cool its so cool” We looked at each square and I read out the names of the stitchers and where they lived. I shared how much work had gone into making the quilt. We looked at the tiny stitches and he said he could understand why it would take a long to make! I said there isn’t another one like it in the world and it is made because all the people involved wanted him to have this very special gift. I shared that he is a one off and not another one like him in the whole world and they knew that and made him a quilt to show their love and support for him. He just smiled and then I gave him the card and read it out. He loved it and commented on how soft it was : ) At this point his dad came in and he took great delight in showing his dad the various squares and also the card as well before he rolled it up and ran up the stairs to his bedroom where he said it will live on his bed forever : ) One very happy chappy!!!


I am so grateful to you all for the hard work and desire to do something so precious and unique for my boy.
Lots of love and great big hugs (I’m a hugger)
from The Gilchrist Family XxX

Finished photos

Individual squares

Card

Stitched by: Shirley Clarke

Biography

Jake was born suffering the effects of his birth mothers drug addiction and alcohol abuse. He was very small, underweight, he couldn’t feed, was bleeding from behind, shaking, sweating and in pain. He was so vulnerable and was immediately taken into care, fostered and eventually adopted by us. He has been diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome and neonatal abstinence syndrome from birth and last year they diagnosed ADHD for which they have now medicated him. Although aged 10 he still wears 5-6 trousers and the impact of FAS has left him underdeveloped in many areas, physically, emotionally and mentally. He is supported every day to get dressed, eat breakfast and take medicine. The minibus takes him to school where he is in a unit with 5 other boys and staff that understand his complex needs. He is supported through the day in his learning and brought back home by minibus. Despite his initial trauma, life as a looked after child, the death of both birth parents, the challenges of ADHD and life with FAS he is a boy who loves life and has great plans to make a difference in this world for good. He wants to be a paramedic for NHS.