Tullamore Hospital Purple Hearts Project - Can you help us crochet hearts?
This new project at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore hopes to bring some comfort to bereaved families. Inspired by the success of this project in Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar earlier this year, the End of Life Care Committee (EOLCC) in Tullamore Hospital hope to roll this project out.
Frances Gardiner, Healthcare Assistant, Oncology/ Haematology Inpatient Unit in Tullamore hospital and skilled Crocheter brought this project proposal the EOLCC. She says “The project aims to provide each family with two Crochet hearts, one heart which will remain with their loved one and one heart which can be taken home by the family. The heart represents a symbol of the continuing bond families will have with their loved ones after they have passed a way. The families can also swap over the hearts before leaving the hospital as a way to create a connection by leaving the heart they had been holding with their loved one.”
Can you help?
The hospital is looking for volunteers to help make these beautiful crochet hearts, if you would like to take part:
Click here to download the pattern and instructions
Please send your purple hearts to:
- DON office, Scott Building, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, Arden road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
- Or, drop them off at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore reception for the attention of DON office, Scott Building
- Please remember to attach your name and contact details with your purple hearts.
Louisea Burke, MRHT Director of Nursing and EOLCC Chairperson said, “We in MRHT are very supportive of this project. Losing a loved one is often a difficult time for families and this small but beautiful gesture may help them feel connected to their loved one even after their passing. We thank all those who have already given their time to create lovely hearts, and with the help of the public we hope to have enough hearts to begin the roll out of this project in our hospital.”
Caption: Pictured in Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore are colleagues L-R: Louisea Burke, Director of Nursing, Paula Ward, cAdvanced Nurse Practitioner, Maura Ryan, Palliative CNS, Palliative Medicine Consultant Michael Cushen, Frances Gardiner. Healthcare Assistant, Oncology Ward.
