Meet the Woman Whose Quilts Save Lives

Dorothy: [00:00:00] Hi, this is Dorothy Gibbons and I’m CEO and co founder of the Rose Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. And this mini episode of let’s talk about your breast was recorded during our last Shrimp Boil. Today, we’re going to be talking to Ella Thomas. Ella is the person who makes the award winning quilts.

That we have at our Shrimp Boil every year.

Let’s Talk About Your Breast. A different kind of podcast presented to you by The Rose, the Breast Center of Excellence and a Texas treasure. You’re going to hear frank discussions about tough topics and you’re going to learn why knowing about your breast could save your life. Join us as we hear another story and we answer those tough questions that you may have.

Ella: I’m Ella [00:01:00] Thomas and I’m an individual quilter. I have been making quilts for the Rose Shrimp Boil for 15 years.

Dorothy: Ella, you’ve been a part of our Shrimp Boil forever and your quilts have always been the featured item. So you tell me, what has remained the same since your first year?

Ella: Pressure.

Dorothy: What’s the hardest part about making quilts?

Ella: The top, making the top, piecing all the pieces together. Is the hardest part.

Dorothy: And what’s the most fun part?

Ella: I like putting the binding on, which is the part that binds all the three layers together. ’cause you do it by hand, you can watch tv, talk to your husband if you want to or if you don’t.

Dorothy: Did you ever have a favorite design?

Ella: Um. Actually, there’s one that’s called “Texas, A State of Mind”. That was my favorite one. And fortunately for me, I get to see it all the time because one of my friends bought it.

Dorothy: And how much did that one go for?

Ella: $5,000.

Dorothy: Ella, how has the rose touched you personally?

Ella: My sister in law [00:02:00] was diagnosed with breast cancer and she had her mammogram through The Rose that year and they were the ones that found it.

And they also helped her navigate her way through the whole process of the surgery and the reconstruction and actually helped her become a stronger person. So it’s close to our family. We have a lot of family that volunteers here.

Dorothy: And do you have any advice for someone with a relative who is fighting breast cancer?

Ella: Just support. You can support them and love them and help them get stronger because they’re scared. They’re very scared when it starts. And my sister in law now, she’s like a 14 year survivor because it was caught early by the Rose.

Dorothy: So that wraps it up for today and don’t forget we’re doing a episode every single day.

You’re going to get your daily dose of Let’s Talk About Your Breasts during the month of October.

Post-Credits: October is the month of pink. And for the Roses a [00:03:00] breast center of excellence. That means we’ll be airing podcasts every day in October to celebrate breast cancer awareness month. You’ll be hearing from longtime firefighter, senior captain, and breast cancer survivor from the Houston Fire Department.

You’ll hear how making Clay heads was part of her treatment. Be sure to share with family and friends because there’s a little something for everyone. To find out ways to help the Rose visit our website at therose.org. And remember, self-care is not selfish. It’s essential.