Holding Hearts helps remind patients they are not alone as they navigate a difficult time with their health. Photo: Canberra Hospital Foundation.
Spending time in hospital or at the bedside of a loved one in hospital can feel isolating and uncertain. But help is at hand.
The Canberra Hospital Foundation is committed to supporting initiatives that provide comfort, hope and connection to patients during their most challenging times.
Through donations to the foundation, initiatives such as the Holding Hearts program help transform hospital stays into experiences of warmth, reassurance and human connection.
Developed in partnership with the Spiritual Support Service at Canberra Hospital, the Holding Hearts program offers a small, yet powerful, symbol of care in the shape of beautifully crafted wooden hearts.
Thanks to Belconnen Men’s Shed, the wooden hearts are made and distributed to Spiritual Support Services within Canberra Hospital and, through the Canberra Hospital Foundation Donation Station, for health care teams to pass on to patients when they’re needing a bit of extra love.
The Holding Hearts offer comfort to patients, particularly as they approach the end of life. They remind patients navigating a difficult time with their health that they are not alone and they are supported by the community.
Each heart is paired with a card containing thoughtful words of encouragement and contact details for Spiritual Support Services, creating a meaningful bridge between the patient and the care available to them.
This simple gesture can make a profound difference, offering emotional relief and a sense of connection in times of uncertainty.
The Spiritual Support Service at Canberra Hospital provides compassionate care for patients and their families during times of illness and uncertainty.
The diverse team assists them in drawing on their own spiritual resources, encouraging those elements that bring meaning, purpose and a sense of belonging.
For some, spirituality is expressed through formal religious beliefs and practices. For others, it is rooted in culture, relationships or life experiences.
Regardless of background, the service offers guidance and emotional support tailored to each person’s unique journey.
The wooden hearts, originally inspired by the traditional Holding Cross, are intentionally non-religious, ensuring they are inclusive for a broad demographic of patients.
The hearts offer a therapeutic benefit, providing a calming focus that patients can grip firmly in their hands during moments of distress.
Canberra Hospital spiritual support manager Chris Dudfield says this tactile connection has been shown to alleviate feelings of isolation and provide a source of comfort, especially for those at the end of life.
“Families can’t always be there to hold their loved one’s hand and some people have no support at all,” Chris says.
For families, the hearts carry a deep symbolic value.
When held by the patient, the heart absorbs their warmth, touch and essence, becoming a cherished keepsake that loved ones can treasure long after their time in the hospital.
It serves as a physical reminder of the bonds of love and connection that transcend even the most difficult circumstances.
The Holding Hearts program is one of many comfort care stories at Canberra Hospital Foundation in the past 12 months including: 42 therapeutic programs to enhance patients’ health journeys and six refurbished away-from-bed spaces creating more comfortable environments for patients and families.
Canberra Hospital Foundation also enabled more than 10,000 Christmas gifts donated by the community with 43 choir performances during the Givemas month of December.
By supporting the foundation, you can help fund programs such as Holding Hearts and bring comfort to patients and their families all year round.
Together, we can make a difference – one heart at a time.
For more information or to donate visit Canberra Hospital Foundation.
