100 heartbeats for patients and their loved ones
Aneeta, a former member of staff and current patient at Barts Health, has knitted 100 hearts for her local hospital, Newham Hospital, to offer comfort to patients with coronavirus and their families.
Whilst staying at home during lockdown, Aneeta came across the ‘make hearts for hospitals’ appeal which involves knitting pairs of hearts. One heart is given to a patient with coronavirus and another is given to their relative to help them maintain a connection when visits to the hospitals are not possible.
The hearts were also a way to say thank you to NHS staff who cared for Aneeta when she herself was unwell. Roughly 6 years ago, Aneeta was left immobile on her left-hand side, resulting in her having to take ill-health retirement from her much-loved profession as a biomedical scientist. She spent long periods of time being treated by specialists at The Royal London Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital in addition to her local hospital, Newham. At St Bartholomew's hospital, she received pioneering medical treatment such as the implantation of a neurostimulator to aid in the functioning of her left arm and hand.
Talking about why she decided to knit for Newham, Aneeta said:
“The care I received at these hospitals honestly transformed my life. I had a lot of difficulty with ongoing pain, but with regular treatment I am now able to go on with my life and I feel so much more positive about the future. I know that being unwell can be a very isolating and lonely time, so I started knitting the hearts because I wanted to give something back to both the patients and the staff that provided such amazing treatment for me.”
In addition to providing comfort to patients and their relatives, the hearts were also an opportunity to raise money by supporting the Barts Charity emergency COVID-19 appeal, as healthcare staff at Barts Health NHS Trust continue to support her as she manages her condition. Aneeta has worked in the NHS for more than 20 years as a biomedical scientist, including at The Royal London hospital and St Bartholomew's hospital.
“Having both worked and received care at the Trust’s hospitals means Barts Health NHS Trust truly holds a special place in my heart.”
Eva Rowe, Dementia and Delirium Nurse at Newham Hospital, said:
“The knitted hearts have been distributed to patients across the hospital including in our care for the elderly, maternity and intensive care units. They will go such a long a way in closing the emotional and physical gap between our patients and their loved one and we are very grateful to Aneeta for her kind gesture.”
The hearts are delivered in sealed packets and are not opened until they have been gifted to the patient to maintain infection control standards.
So far Aneeta has raised more than £2,000 for staff wellbeing initiatives through the emergency Covid-19 appeal. After finishing her 100 red hearts, Aneeta has decided she wants to continue knitting. With the NHS 72nd birthday approaching on 5 July, she has now begun knitting new NHS rainbow designed hearts which will be used for the same initiative.