Generous mum crochets hearts and flowers for hospice patients

The crocheted items have been given out to patients both at the Hindley-based charity’s headquarters and in the community to let them know they are still being cared about.

Amanda, 51, chose the daisy as a nod to the hospice’s logo.

An IT worker for Cetus Solutions in Trafford Park, Amanda said: “I’d been making them for hospital patients and I thought no-one was mentioning the hospice patients through all this but people are still passing away and being cared for by the hospice.

“I thought it might be something nice for patients to have as visiting is restricted. It shows them they are not on their own and they have something to hold and keep close as a reminder.”

Amanda was inspired to pick up her crochet hooks and knitting needles after seven years due to a client’s mother dying from Covid-19.

“When I heard that one of our client’s mothers had passed away from coronavirus I thought rather than sitting here eating and drinking I’ve got a lot of wool so I looked up a video on YouTube on how to make knitted hearts,” she said.

“I ended up staying up until 1am that night making 20 to 30 of them and it went from there.

“A neighbour of mine, Rachel, works at the hospice and she asked if I could make some daisies. I didn’t know how but I had a go - and the first few looked like demented spiders - but then I got the hang of it!

“I’ve also been making knitted rainbows and giving them to friends and family as well as other people who’ve contacted me on my Facebook page. Whenever someone asks for one I ask them to make a donation to the hospice.

“I just wanted to do something to give people a little smile and raise a little money while I’m doing it.

“It’s been a nightmare getting wool but I’ve joined groups on Facebook where I can find wool, someone told me about a wool sale at Aldi so I bought 40 bags then and people have been donating wool to me.”

Rachel Gardner, a healthcare assistant on the in-patient Unit at the hospice and Amanda’s neighbour, said: “The hearts and daisies have been given out to our patients at a very sad and confusing time for them.

“Our patients are not able to feel the support from all of their family during this health crisis, due to restricted visiting. Therefore the hearts and daisies have been given to them as a symbol of love and connection, to remind them that their families are thinking about them every moment, and sending their love.

“They have proved very important for one family in particular when the patient’s grandchildren were given daisies to help them come to terms with the fact that they couldn’t see their grandparent at this time.

It was a way of making the process of loss a little bit easier for the children. We are very grateful to Amanda for all her hard work in making that possible.”