Posted on March 31, 2020
Patients unable to have visitors share messages of hope
Some are notes to loved ones.
“Miss and love you” to David and Ginger.
“Love you all” to Patty, Aaron and Jenny.
“Hey kids! Love and miss you! Love, Dad.”
Others are messages of encouragement for the community.
“Keep the faith!”
“We rise by lifting others.”
“Choose happiness.”
They’re all words of hope to anyone reading them.
The 55 messages displayed in windows on the fifth floor of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital are especially heartfelt. They’re from patients in the Sub-Acute Rehabilitation program whose loved ones can’t visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program falls under the same Centers for Disease Control safety guidelines that restrict visitors to nursing homes.
For the more than 40 patients who came to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation, the messages are a way to communicate with family, friends and the community, said recreational therapist Brenna Gallagher.
“It’s heartbreaking that patients can’t see family,” said Brenna, who noted that support from loved ones is an important part of the rehabilitation journey. “I knew I had to come up with a way to lift their spirits during this time of uncertainty.”
As it turns out, the project also is a way for patients to inspire others.
“One of my patients was almost in tears, saying how amazing this is and that we need positivity in the world during these trying times,” Brenna said. “When I was putting up their signs, multiple patients told me they already called family to come and see.”
Local media also spread the word:
- FOX 17: Messages of hope help connect loved ones and patients
- WZZM: Patients post messages at Mary Free Bed
- Women’s Lifestyle: 10 Local People Whose Kindness Will Inspire You
