NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (KMTV) — Paula Robbins says quilts tell a story. Each square is distinct, but sewn together, they make a whole.
In the fabric of Robbins' story, though, is a major snag.
"My husband and I were involved in a terrible car wreck," Robbins said.
The injury was devastating for Robbins and her family. She fell into a coma.
"If I am being kept alive on life support to just let me go," Robbins said. She explained that she had prepared an advance directive with her wishes just in case something terrible should happen to her.
Robbins says she's still here today because her family kept her alive long enough for her sister to visit from New York. Still in a coma, they connected through music at her bedside.
"The song that she was singing was the old Pete Seeger song 'Goodnight Irene' — she played acoustic guitar and we would just sing songs all the time," Robbins said.
Robbins says she came back to consciousness in October of that year, but with no memories from a 6-week period and a long recovery ahead.
"I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to write, I couldn't sign my name," Robbins said.
By spring, Robbins felt she had regained her skills.
"I felt like sewing," Robbins said.
She picked up an old hobby just in time for the 150th birthday of Nebraska.
"All 93 counties are represented in the quilt," Robbins said as she explained the intricacies of the large hanging quilt.
That Nebraska-inspired piece became the first major quilt she completed after the accident. It is now part of her exhibit at Kimbell Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City.
The display, called "TBI Recovery Quilts," weaves together her work from before and after her traumatic brain injury. Though she still has hard days, a quilter's patience keeps her pattern intact.
"Sometimes it just takes a little time to process things, just a little time," Robbins said.
As her fingers glide across the fabric, her greatest works wrapped around her like a blanket, Robbins hopes to one day create a piece as good as her all-time favorite — a quilt made before her life was changed forever that won a blue ribbon at the state fair.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
