Dorothy’s Sisters are a group of local women carrying on a legacy begun by Dorothy Summerson, a Perry native who passed away three years ago. Their service projects create homemade quilts for soldiers coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and for families who have lost a son or daughter in combat.
Summerson was originally inspired by a radio interview with P. J. Green of Grimes, who volunteers with a group called Operation First Response. Green discussed sending quilts to active-duty service people to aid in their recovery.
Operation First Response handcrafts quilts and sends them in backpacks to soldiers in Afghanistan. Summerson started a local chapter with some some of her quilting friends, and the idea caught on.
“We’re now finding some local people with PTSD and providing them with quilts,” said Cathy Fox, one of the original Dorothy’s Sisters. “We always made the quilts in Dorothy’s basement before her and John went to Arizona for the winter season.”
The quilters began working seasonally, according to Lois Hoger of Perry, another longtime member of Dorothy’s Sister.
“Dorothy always took some quilts to Arizona,” Hoger said. “She had her friends down there start some, and then she’d bring them back for us to finish.”
After a few years, Fox suggested a way to turn the project into a year-round effort.
“I mentioned to her that we could move all of the equipment and things into my basement, and we could continue working there during the winter,” Fox said. Dorothy and her husband, John Summerson, moved the quilting equipment into Fox’s home.
“People don’t know this story about her,” Fox said. “She was determined. She cared for these men serving for our country.”
Rates of PTSD are estimated at about 20 percent for veterans of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to 2013 research. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 830,000 Vietnam War veterans suffered symptoms of PTSD, with about 15 percent of male and 8 percent of female Vietnam Vets still suffering symptoms 40 years after the end of the conflict.
The total estimated two-year cost of treating the 2.16 million U.S. troops deployed in combat zones between 2001 and 2010 is between $1.54 billion and $2.69 billion.
Combat veterans are not the only sufferers of PTSD. Research indicates more than 60 percent of men and more than 60 percent of women experience at least one traumatic event in their lives. The most frequently reported traumatic events by men are rape, combat and childhood neglect or physical abuse. Women most frequently report instances of rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a weapon and childhood physical abuse.
The most common symptoms of PTSD include sleep disorders, uncontrollable anger, difficulty in concentrating, hyper-vigilance and an exaggerated startle response. Chronic symptoms are major depressive disorders and lifelong alcohol abuse or dependence.
Seeing the breadth of traumatic pain around them, some of Dorothy’s Sisters extended their reach beyond military personnel and started making the quilts for people in local shelters, hospitals and nursing homes.
After the quilts are completed, the group gives them to P. J. Green, who takes them to the automobile races in Newton or other large gatherings and has people sign them. The quilts are regularly on show at Memorial Day and Veterans Day events in Perry, and the signatures rapidly follow. The Perry Public Library also displayed several of Dorothy’s Sisters’ quilts this summer and gathered signatures.
Shirley Shoesmith of Perry, a longtime quilter with Dorothy’s Sisters, said the group had 35 quilts on hand for RAGBRAI riders to sign when they passed through Perry in 2013.
“We met a lot of people during our RAGBRAI,” Shoesmith said. “It was an outstanding experience.”
Dorothy’s Sisters have so far made more than 300 quilts. They donate their own time and materials but also depend on donations. The rewards, Dorothy’s Sisters agree, far outweigh the costs.
“We received a letter from a father thanking us for the quilt for his son,” Fox said. “He couldn’t believe how many signatures were on it from people all over the U.S. He was so moved. But one of my favorite stories is when P.J. took a group of quilts to a hospital. She presented them to a veteran with PTSD who hadn’t spoken a word in months, and when she came in, he said, ‘I want that one,’ and he started talking again.”
Another wonderful article about my dear friend Dorothy Summerson. She always gave 150 percent in anything she did and truly did it from her heart. Miss her. Nice to see John at our church. He is an extension of her energy.
May you be resting in heaven with all of the angels, Dorothy.
To those of us in Arizona, we were truly blessed to have Dorothy and John Summerson in our lives. We too miss this beautiful lady whom we grew to love so much. A very caring and sharing person to everyone she met. We are blessed that we still get to have John with us during the winter months to have fun with and share a lot of good stories of Perry. We also know that the Summersons made an impressive mark on the city of Perry. God Bless you all and keep up the good work with the quilts, as we know they bless all “the right people who have given so much of themselves for all of us.” Love to all, Helen and Wayne Tucker