By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
HELEN Comport said she was reassured if her phone never rang.
But this particular day, it did.
Helen’s son was serving in Afghanistan and had warned his mum not to believe everything she heard on the news.
“My only way of coping day to day, knowing he’s in a country where there’s people that would like to see him dead, was to make sure my mobile was with me, it was charged, and if that hasn’t rung, my son’s okay,” Helen, the mastermind behind Quilts of Valour Australia and a member of Berwick Inner Wheel, said.
“This particular time I was driving home and I stopped at Safeway to grab a few things and I had a plastic bag in each hand and I’m walking back to the car and my phone rang, and by the time I put the bags down and got my phone it had stopped, and it said it was a restricted number.
“Then driving up Harkaway road, there’s nowhere to pull over and it rang again and I couldn’t pull over, because I don’t have hands-free.
“By the time I got home, I had the car radio on and on the news they said several Australians had died in Afghanistan today, and my heart sank.”
Helen’s son had been badly injured in the conflict and was airlifted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany – the largest military hospital outside of the US – but he was alive.
While in hospital her son made a discovery that would shape Helen’s life, kick-starting a passion that she has been heavily involved with ever since.
“When my son was in Germany, because he’s in this sterile ICU, he saw this coloured blanket or rug. He didn’t know what it was,” Helen said.
“And he asked if he could have that on his bed. And they said, of course.
“Then a week or two later, when they were leaving, they said aren’t you taking it? And he said, doesn’t it belong to the hospital? And they said, no, American quilters made that for injured soldiers and he was shocked to think that people had put all that time and effort in for him.
“When he was back home, he said imagine if Australians did that. And I thought, why can’t we?”
The quilt Helen speaks of was delivered to her son through the Quilts of Valor association in America, which organises for the quilts to be sent to soldiers injured in war as a reminder that their service and bravery will never be forgotten.
Through consultation with the Victorian Quilters’ Guild and the Berwick RSL sub-branch, Quilts of Valour Australia was born in 2012, created by Helen and aided by contributors throughout the country.
Since starting the group, Helen believes they have sent between 200 and 300 quilts to the families of Australian soldiers wounded and killed in conflict.
Each quilt takes countless hours to construct and is adorned with inherently Australian symbols, be it native animals or the Southern Cross.
Helen is now calling on anyone out there who may be able to lend a hand and their time to the initiative to get in touch with her, emphasising how much of a positive impact it can have on the families touched by war.
“We would like lots of quilters all around Australia to know what we do and how much it means to the soldiers. I’ve had such wonderful emails and letters and cards back from the families, from wives, saying how much it’s meant to their husband,” Helen said.
“I know that there’s hundreds, if not thousands, of returned soldiers really struggling.
“We’ve really got to say to soldiers that it’s okay to talk, and it’s okay to feel upset and we want you to know how much we appreciate what you’ve given and how it’s affected your life.
“The quilts are about wrapping them in love.”
For more information on the Quilts of Valour Australia, contact Helen at qovoz@hotmail.com, or visit www.quiltsofvalour.com.au.
For help or information visit beyondblue.org.au, phone Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, or Lifeline on 131 114.
