It has been an extraordinary time in the past two years for the medical and emergency services. Everyone who works in the ambulance and health department of Saskatchewan is affected by the additional pressures created by the pandemic.
Two special teenagers from Swift Current wanted to thank these workers for everything they do, especially during this difficult time in history. The two besties wanted to make sure the frontline workers at Swift Current were reminded every day of how valued they are.
Avery Andres and Tamara Gleim took their time from their regular school days and painted numerous rocks and arranged them appropriately on the ground to create a “rock snake”. The rock serpent is a visual reminder for anyone entering the main entrance of Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current.
Tamara has Down syndrome and Avery has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome so they understand the importance of those who work in the healthcare field. Tamara said she and Avery had fun doing it.
Tamara said she started painting a rock green and then just kept going. Her second was pink, one of her favorite colors. Tamara added that they got help creating some of the designs.
“My favorite is the pink,” she said in a telephone interview with the help of her teacher Sarah MacDonald.
The aim is to induce citizens to do so. Avery’s supervisor, Andrea Orr, says those around these two special teenagers are so proud of them.
Orr’s fiancé has an aunt and uncle in Melfort. The uncle is the mayor and so they are very familiar with what is going on there. So Orr likes to watch their fun and one day a few weeks ago she came across a post that piqued her interest.
“(The aunt) posted on Facebook that she ran into this rock snake at Melfort Hospital and I thought the idea was so cool,” Orr explains. “We’re always looking for fun crafts for the girls to do together, they are besties and they love to hang out and just be together, just play or do handicrafts together, I’ll love that, ‘she love to paint stones and it’s such a good cause. “
Orr took the idea to the girls before one of their scheduled activity sessions. Orr says Tamara thought, “It was the best ever,” and Avery also expressed her delight through a special communication device.
“So, on a couple of days that we brought the girls together, they would paint their little hearts,” Orr explains. “I asked them where they wanted to put it, and the hospital was a good start. They thought it was big enough that it would get to the school (nearby) and thank these important workers too.
“So we started as a hospital, mostly because these are both medical kids and Avery spends a lot of time in hospitals. We have seen for the past year and a half what all the nurses, doctors, janitors and administrators have been through. I think we just wanted to say “thank you” and show them that we love and support them. And we wanted to give them a little joy. We know their days are long and tough right now, like anyone else, but they have the added stress of having to take care of everyone during this time. We just wanted to bring joy. The idea came from then on, we thought we’d post it on Facebook so other people in the community would know it was there. “
The local sask. Health officials know the line is there. Natalie Pister-LeBlanc, an emergency physician, was grateful and impressed with the gesture and the work.
“I saw it for the first time (recently) when Andrea posted it on Facebook and honestly the first thing that comes to mind is of course a feeling of happiness and these two wonderful young ladies showing their appreciation for health care workers and show their creative nature and I thought that was really nice, ”she explains. “We are very grateful for that and it will definitely put a smile on your face. I just found it wonderful. “
Pister-LeBlanc says the public support is inspiring and noted that something like the rock snake and the mural on the hospital’s back door are inspirational.
Orr added, hundreds of people initially asked about the concept. It was really exciting for the girls’ creation to bear fruit.
“It can be such a stressful time, but everyone drifts on and ideas like this one, it just motivates everyone, it lifts the mood,” adds Pister-LeBlanc.
It was a dozen rocks in the beginning, but the expectation is to grow. The rocks have phrases like “thank you”; “Love” or “Always be you”.
There are other symbols like a dragonfly that represent that every day is a new beginning.
“That’s what the dragonfly stands for and that’s our philosophy with the girls that every day is a new beginning, you can always start over,” said Orr, noting that Avery and Tamara were particularly motivated and focused in making the rocks know the meaning. “Usually we lose Avery’s interest in an activity like she (usually) takes a rock and that was it, but this one she came back and imagined all of her heart. Tamara was just so excited and asked so many questions, what should we paint on them, in which order they go, she was just excited. ”
Orr added that the Cypress Hills administration was very receptive to the idea and insisted that the stones be placed at the front entrance rather than the back entrance. They wanted as many people as possible to see and enjoy the work.
source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/special-tribute-to-health-care-workers-from-two-appreciative-rock-star-teens-saskatchewan/
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