Robin Chase holds a quilt members of the Amish community made from her late son’s shirts. (Abigail Adams photo)
For almost nine years, Robin Chase held onto her oldest son’s shirts with plans to make them into a quilt to commemorate his life. A few weeks before the anniversary of Ryan Patrick Chase’s death, Anna Yoder delivered the quilt to the Chases.
Yoder’s Amish community in New York hand-crafted the quilt. “There is so much meaning and love in this,” Robin Chase said. “It is absolutely special.”
The quilt is not only special because it was crafted from Ryan’s shirts and from pieces of a quilt Robin made for him, which was used to line his coffin, Robin said.
It is also special because the quilt was made through a “community effort” with the “loving hands” of the Chases’ new friends in the Amish community, Robin said.
Ryan Patrick Chase struggled with several health conditions throughout his life. He was born with thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, a rare genetic disease characterized by the absence of a bone, the radius, in each forearm.
His early years included several trips to Boston hospitals so doctors could replace the metal implants in his arms, Robin said. At the age of 18, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and he later developed melanoma.
Ryan fought against his health conditions, although it was difficult for him, Robin said. The cancer went into remission, but “he could never get a handle on” the Crohn’s disease, she said.
Despite his struggles, Ryan married and had two children. “Family was his bright spot,” Robin said. One morning in April 2008, Ryan got up and could not breathe. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors had to induce a coma, Robin said.
He never came out of it. With little chance of recovery, his family made the decision to take him off life support. “We had to let him go,” Robin said. “It was easier knowing he wouldn’t have to battle his health issues anymore.”
Ryan was surrounded by family during his final days. On April 17, 2008, at the age of 30, he passed away. “We all got to say goodbye to him,” Robin said. “We were luckier than most.”
Ryan’s casket was hand-crafted by his family members and made with lumber Ryan and his father Patrick milled together. The quilt Robin made for him was used to line the casket.
Since 2008, Robin has held onto the leftover pieces of the quilt used to line the coffin and Ryan’s old shirts, which she planned to turn into a lap quilt. Robin has experience quilting and even sought help from professional quilters, but never completed the project.
“It just didn’t feel right,” Robin said.
For the past year, Robin and Patrick Chase have hosted several Amish families at their Whitefield home, some of whom have since relocated, or are relocating, to Whitefield. During a visit from the Yoder and Miller families, Robin told them about the quilt she hoped to make to commemorate her son.
The Yoders and Millers asked if they could take the shirts back with them to New York. Robin agreed.
Melinda Miller sent Robin a letter in January describing the progress made on the quilt. Melinda is a relative of Carla and Mose Miller, who recently moved to Whitefield, but is not relocating herself.
After designing the quilt, several members of the Miller and Yoder families worked to stitch it together, Melinda wrote. Their children helped prepare food and care for the younger children as the women worked on the quilt.
“The girls did the cooking and the rest of us worked at quilting. And, of course, our mouths had to be kept busy yacking,” Melinda wrote.
When Anna and Mose Yoder arrived in Whitefield in mid-March, they delivered the completed quilt to Robin. With the extra fabric, they made two pillows for Ryan’s children.
The quilt followed the same pattern of the quilt Robin had made for Ryan. The center square of each square in the pattern was made from Ryan’s old quilt, Robin said.
Surrounding the center square are pieces of fabric from Ryan’s favorite flannel shirt and several of his dress shirts and T-shirts. “It could not have been done any nicer,” Robin said.
Losing a son, “you go through periods of why and what if,” Robin said, “but you can’t really go there. That will take you down a deep, dark hole.” Robin said she believes things happen for a reason.
The Chases expected no payment and nothing in return for helping the Amish families relocate and settle in Whitefield, Robin said. Their friendship was enough.
But in addition to the quilt and pillows, the Yoders presented Patrick Chase with a hand-crafted oak stand when they arrived in town, Robin said. John Miller, Melinda’s husband, made the stand after hearing several jokes about the clutter on Patrick’s desk.
“It’s amazing. I really can’t describe how much this means,” Robin said while running her hands over the quilt. “They are very special people with very big hearts.”
