An Oldham woman has donated more than 30 gift packages and cards to children receiving palliative care in hospital this Christmas.
Bethany Graham, 21, from Oldham, sent 32 free packages to children and their siblings at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital after being contacted by a student nurse who was on a placement with the Children’s Palliative Care Team and had come across Bethany’s Kindness Cards Project.
The Kindness Cards Project, which Bethany set up in 2018, provides cards and free gift packages to anyone in the UK who is struggling with a mental health condition, chronic illnesses or disability, or going through a hard time.
Bethany immediately agreed to sending gifts to the children receiving palliative care at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and their siblings and filled packages with festive gifts including toys, teddies, colouring books, and selection boxes.
Bethany is now looking to send further Christmas packages to other organisations and has contacted Oldham charity Mahdlo Youth Zone and the children’s ward at The Royal Oldham Hospital.
Discussing why she set up the Kindness Cards Project, Bethany said: “I was diagnosed with Autism when I was 15 and I struggled in school with anxiety and feeling different but not knowing why.
“I moved to a different school, Hollinwood Academy which is a specialist school for children with autism, when I was 16 and things started to get a bit better for me and I decided to set up the project.
“It originally started with me just sending a few cards to people. I wanted to help other people who were like me because I struggled so much at school, and it would have meant a lot if somebody would have written me a card or sent me something to show that I wasn’t alone with how I was feeling”.
Individuals and organisations send requests for Kindness Cards and packages to Bethany via social media including through an application page on Instagram where they can list the items, they are interested in receiving.
“I get hundreds of requests. The project has grown a lot in four years and the demand is high. It’s heart-breaking because it just shows how many people are struggling.
“I want to run this project this forever. I love to help people and make people smile it’s what makes me happy”, Bethany said.
The cards include handwritten messages by Bethany and items that are tailored to the recipient such as tea bags, friendship bracelets, positive and uplifting quote cards, and stickers.
All the packages and cards are completely free, and the project is funded entirely by donations from the public.
To donate to the Kindness Cards Project, go to www.linktr.ee/kindnesscardsproject
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