Autistic teen sends hundreds of cards to NHS workers after seeing them ‘upset’
An autistic teen has sent almost 700 cards to NHS workers after seeing them struggle bravely through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paddy Joyce became overwhelmed by the virus death statistics and began penning letters to front line workers to help ease his anxiety.
The 17-year-old, from Glasgow, has hand-written 663 individually named cards of support to members of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary for all their hard work during the pandemic.
Paddy, who has autism, told the Daily Record he hopes to send more than 5,000 cards by the end of the year.
He said: “I saw how sad and upset they were on the news.
“My mum said I should write to someone, so I asked her to find someone and lots of people wanted one, so I want to write to everyone.”
His mother Indra said writing letters helped him deal with his concerns about Covid.
She said: “Statistics make sense to him because they are numbers and organised.
“He honed in on Covid death stats and they made him very upset, but he couldn't stop looking at them.
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“Now, he'll read them, and they make him determined to write more cards so he can help make the doctors and nurses happy.
“And because a fair few respond to him, he feels he is making a difference. He now feels he has purpose.”
The first cards were opened by staff in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Medics said staff were touched by gesture of kindness.
Pat Cruickshanks, charge nurse at the ICU said: "This last year has been so different to anything we've known and it's not over yet.
“We're still very busy with both Covid and non-Covid patients and gestures like these provide something of a boost to keep us going.
“I know that everyone in the team and across the hospital is really grateful and I hope, at some point, we all get to meet Paddy to say thanks to him in person. He should be so proud of what he has done.”
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