“When someone is grieving, any little thing may help them, and having a bear made out of their loved one’s shirt that they can hold and look at may help just a little bit, I hope,” says Jane Winslow, a volunteer for Washington Regional Hospice.

Jane began as a hospice volunteer around 2000. “When I first joined the hospice program, I had patient contact and visited patients in their home,” she recalls. A few years later, she found a way to give back through her lifelong love of sewing. “In the last 20 years, I have transitioned to making memory bears for families who have lost a loved one,” Jane says. “This is a good way to do what I can for hospice.”

Each bear that Jane makes is created using an article of clothing from a hospice patient who has died. “It just helps the family to have a piece of their loved one,” Jane says. Oftentimes, families will request multiple teddy bears. Jane tries to make at least two bears every day, and she can complete one bear in about three hours.

 In the 20 years since she began sewing these precious keepsakes, Jane has created more than 3,065 bears, documenting each one in scrapbooks. “I take pictures of each one after they're finished. To the innocent bystander, they probably all run together and look alike, but each one is special to me. I try to put all I can into each bear and make each one just as good as I can make them,” she says. “Every once in a while, I get a thank you note from a recipient, and that just makes it all worthwhile. I think it does as much for me as it does for them.”

Jane was inspired to begin volunteering for Washington Regional Hospice after her father’s health began to decline. “When my father was dying, my mother took care of him at home, and I thought how much easier it would have been for her if he had hospice care,” she says.

Later, Jane experienced firsthand the benefit of hospice services while caring for her husband. “My husband was in his last stages, and he was transferred to hospice, and they cared so for him. They cared for us too,” she says. “I'll always point out that that hospice is not a death sentence, it's a help.”

“I think Washington Regional Hospice is a great, great program, and it helps the caregivers bear their load and gives them some strength for the for the journey,” Jane says. “It is just a great program.”

Click here to learn more about the services offered by Washington Regional Hospice or call 479.463.7385.