Christmas came early for stroke patients on Lakeview 1 at Providence Care Hospital.

A couple Christmas elves from the Heart and Stroke Kingston office came bearing gifts on Dec. 18.

Sandra Barns and Kate Hutton went from room to room delivering hand crocheted blankets and Christmas cards to each and every patient.

“There’s 30 of them and they’re so beautiful,” beamed Hutton, Heart and Stroke Area Coordinator.

“No one wants to be in a hospital over the holidays, so we hope these blankets help patients feel a little bit better and help brighten their day.”

“We receive so much in fundraising from the community that we want to give back,” added Barns, Heart and Stroke Manager.

“And with it being the Christmas season, we thought it was the perfect time to start giving back to the community.”

The majority of the one-of-a-kind blankets were handmade by Hutton’s sister Megan.

“My sister was really excited. Most of them are little lap blankets to help keep patient’s legs warm.”

Patients were not only thrilled with the gifts but some also got a little emotional when they received a blanket.

“It was so heartwarming to see the positive reactions from patients,” said Patti Harvey, Program Manager with Providence Care.

“We know it can be difficult to be in hospital, especially during the Christmas season. Recovery can be very difficult, so we always look for opportunities to make our patients happy.”

Harvey added Heart and Stroke play an important role for patients once they leave the hospital.

“We know when patients leave their rehabilitation journey continues in the community, and Heart and Stroke can be a very helpful resource,” said Harvey.

“We’re all here to ensure patients receive the best possible care and to achieve that, we must work together.”