An anonymous community member has crafted large tapestries and quietly given them to staff when receiving her COVID-19 vaccinations at the Sunshine and Showgrounds Vaccination Hubs.
Both feature a colourful design with a range of faces to represent the community, with the tapestry at Sunshine reading “Thank you to everyone who is helping get us vaccinated” while the one at the Showgrounds says THANK YOU.
Donald Johnson, Nurse Unit Manager at the Sunshine Hospital Vaccination Hub said the gesture had made an impact on staff as they work hard to vaccinate an average of 1800 community members each day. In the past month, staff at the Showgrounds Hub have vaccinated another 1500 per day on average.
”We’ve all been moved and can see the time and effort they put into making this. Our team look at this and feel their hard work is recognised, and they feel valued by the community,” Donald said.
The nurses who received the tapestries are desperate to say thank you. Donald explains that the tapestry was folded in a bag when the grateful woman passed it to the nurse at Sunshine, and the nurse didn’t realise what it was until the woman had gone.
“We were taken aback when we realised what she’d created. It’s beautiful and it means a lot to staff. We’d love to find out who she is and say thanks,” Donald said.
The impressive pieces of craftwork, each around 2 metres wide, are displayed at both Sunshine and Showgrounds for staff to enjoy as they take a break from their busy days.
The ripple effect of an act of kindness like this is seen well beyond the walls of the vaccination hubs, as staff shared the story of these beautiful pieces of work and the gesture behind it.
Suellen Bruce, Executive Director – People, Culture & Communications based in Footscray said it brightened her day. “Isn’t this beautiful? That’s made me smile today!” Suellen said.
