| Posted April 7, 2014 | By Nate Karlin | Categorized under WMC Happenings |

More than 16 years ago, Nancy Wright volunteered to carry on a hand-crafted tradition at Williamson Medical Center that provided comfort or joy to families.

That tradition involved constructing little cloth angels out of hospital bed sheets to be given to families who are mourning the loss of a loved one or welcoming a little bundle of joy.

Although Wright, at the time, had been volunteering at WMC for only a little more than a year, she instantly found it in her heart to continue the anonymous gesture of love.

More than 3,500 angels later, Wright can't see herself doing anything less.

"It was something I wanted to do," she says. "It makes you feel like what you're doing is worth something."

Four types of angels are made for patients: adult angels, little blue and pink angels for all discharged newborns, and little yellow angels for parents mourning the loss of a baby.

In recent years, other volunteers have helped piece together the little pink cherubs, but Wright continues to produce the majority of the angels. She spends roughly six hours every week at home cutting and piecing together the cloth angels, which stand no taller than 5 inches. The adult angels include a little card with the saying, "Guardian Angels are always at your side to watch, protect ... forever be your guide."

‘Made with so much love'

Every angel is made the same way, but the impression it leaves on each family is unique.

They're viewed as symbols of hope and healing, mourning and remembrance. They've been placed in caskets and on mantels and Christmas trees. One angel even was passed down to a granddaughter on her wedding day. The little guardian, representative of her grandfather, sat in her bouquet as she walked down the aisle.

"It's special because it's made with so much love," says Gwen Pullen, Pastoral Care Coordinator at Williamson Medical Center. "Nancy's not getting paid for this, and it doesn't have her name on it. It truly is a gift from the heart. I see all the time how much the patients and families appreciate them."

Lifetime of service

The handmade angels are a "sweet touch" on top of everything else the volunteers do for patients and their families, says Angie Birkemeyer-Jones, who began overseeing WMC's Volunteer Program in 2007.

"The commitment our volunteers share with patients and their families shows that every one of us can continue to make a difference throughout our entire lives," she says.

Volunteers are an essential part of Williamson Medical Center. In addition to giving generously of their time—to the tune of 18,000 hours on average annually—WMC's Volunteer Auxiliary donated more than $100,000 to recent years to support projects that benefit Williamson Medical Center's patients and programs. Volunteers provide many services at the Medical Center including staffing the information desk, delivering flowers and mail to patients, providing toys for children undergoing surgery, and operating The Gift Shoppe.

If you're interested in volunteering at WMC, please contact Angie Birkemeyer-Jones at 615-435-5429 or [email protected].