Hemel Hempstead ladies collect handmade hearts to give to coronavirus patients

A group of ladies from Hemel Hempstead are collecting handmade hearts to give to NHS staff to hand out to patients and families during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jenni Istiawan, Julie James, Jodi Rogers, Jessica Foster-Edwards, Natasha Batchelor and Pam Moriarty-Moule wanted to do something to support the NHS nurses.

Last month Jenni and Julie created Healing Hands, an appeal for creams from the public to donate to hospital staff at the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, who manage hospitals Hemel Hempstead, Watford and St Albans.

Now, the group is making pairs of hearts for nurses to give to patients, and the families of patients who have passed away.

Julie said: "The appeal for hand creams went really well, we decided we wanted to do something else for our nurses.

"So we spoke to our friend and she said that one of the hardest things she and many nurses had found was how impersonal it was on palliative care because the patients are alone, with no family or friends.

"We were thinking of ideas, and I read somewhere about hearts and I thought that could be a great idea.

"We decided to create pairs of hearts, one for the patient in palliative care and one for the family, the hearts have a little poem that my friend Jodi made up.

"The pair of hearts are sealed for 72 hours before being passed on to the hospital.

"We made an appeal for people who could help make hearts and we have been inundated with pairs of hearts, it has been amazing and they are a lovely gesture for the patients and their families.

"We have donated some to a care home in Hemel, the Simpson Ward at Hemel Hempstead Hospital and our friend took some to the Watford Hospital, we have been asked by hospital's all over the country to send them in as well.

"We do need knitters to help make the hearts, as long as there pairs of hearts, they don't need to be the same, the idea is that they're all a bit different.

"It has been great for the nurses to be able to give something to the family.

"Our friend spoke to the hospital and she said the West Herts Hospital NHS Trust supports the idea, the feedback we have had has been amazing."

The group has now distributed 1,500 pairs of hearts and poems.

Jeni added: "We have been given so many handmade hearts, It is amazing, the response to this project has been great.

"We would like to thank everyone who has helped make them and distribute them."

For more information visit the Healing Hands Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/HealingHandsNHS.

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