PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Being admitted to a hospital for any reason can be stressful. Whether it’s a planned procedure or an emergency situation, there will always be questions, worries, and fears.
According to Sherry Beaulieu, manager of The Aroostook Medical Center’s Volunteer and Guest Relations Services, “The hospital can be a scary place sometimes for those who aren’t feeling well, and they depend on the caring TAMC staff to help them figure out what’s wrong and to do what we can to make them feel better.”
It was with that objective in mind that a local church reached out to TAMC. Theresa Bonner, coordinator of St. Mary’s PreK-5 Faith Formation program at the Parish of the Precious Blood in Presque Isle, contacted Beaulieu with an idea students were hoping to be able to offer to the hospital: get-well cards for patients.
“I was very touched and knew that I could find the perfect way to make sure that these cards would reach our patients at TAMC,” said Beaulieu.
2016 marks the “Holy Year of Mercy” in the Catholic Church. With a convergence on both corporal and spiritual works of mercy, the Diocese of Portland has put forth an initiative to target a specific work of mercy each month.
“St. Mary’s Prek-5 Faith Formation program has been working on one corporal and/or spiritual work of mercy each month,” explained Bonner. “This month the focus was to visit the sick and comfort the afflicted.”
On behalf of the hospital, Beaulieu paid a visit to the church and spoke to the children in person.
“Your gifts from the heart will touch each and every one of them [patients] and will let them know that you care, too. From the bottom of my heart, TAMC and our patients, we thank you for your beautiful gifts of get well cards,” she told them.
“It was so wonderful having Sherry Beaulieu come to our site and explain how such a small gesture has such a huge impact on another life,” Bonner exclaimed. “Oftentimes it is the small things that are the biggest and most special gift.”
Eli, an 8-year-old from the second-grade Sacraments class, was excited to participate in the project. “I like to get presents. I know that if I was sick in the hospital I would like it if people did nice things for me.”
“We currently have a patient courtesy program called Fred’s Friendly Flowers,” said Beaulieu. “Every day during the week our TAMC volunteers deliver a small flower to every newly admitted patient to let them know that TAMC cares and welcomes them. We will include these handmade, from-the-heart, get-well cards with the flower and let them know that they were given by the children of St. Mary’s Church.
“Each of these handmade get-well cards will surely help make our patients feel better and truly cared about,” she added.
