A GENEROUS group of Catholic women in Queensland have offered a stitch (or more) in time to help nurses providing palliative care during the coronavirus pandemic.
The women, who happen to enjoy sewing, stepped up to the challenge when Karuna Hospice Services in Brisbane put the call out for someone to make medical gowns for nurses to wear while they were making home visits to clients.
Lynda Roberts, of Teams of Our Lady – an organisation for married couples, said Karuna was having difficulty sourcing the gowns from its regular suppliers because priority was being given to hospitals during the pandemic.
The nurses wear the gowns over their uniforms as an infection control measure.
“They had to change the gowns between (visits to) clients (people receiving palliative care in their own homes),” Mrs Roberts said.
“Each nurse needed several gowns a day.”
Mrs Roberts heard of Karuna’s need from a friend so she appealed for help from Teams members around Queensland.
They got busy and came up with 39 gowns.
Truci Dove and her friends, many of whom are Teams members, made 29, Chris Duyvestyn and a friend made four and Mrs Roberts made three.
“Many were colourful and I am sure a great talking point for the clients,” Mrs Roberts said.
She said it was a worthwhile exercise for the Teams members at a time when many of them were at home during restrictions, and Karuna was grateful for the help at a critical time.
