The "Blanket of Compassion" was one of the projects carried out by the Adventist Solidarity Action during the period of Holy Week. On Tuesday, March 30, Adventist Church volunteers donated over 400 kilos of food in basic baskets, about 100 pieces of blankets, and 210 units of cleaning supplies for patients at the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Psychiatric Hospital, located in the city of Juazeiro, in the northern region of Bahia.
The 38 patients admitted to the sanatorium still received free haircuts. The hairdresser Mara Batista da Silva was one of the volunteers who used her talent in the women's ward of the hospital. “They were very happy. They wanted to be transformed and I was also happy with the result. We can always give a little more attention to these people ”, he highlights.
Restoring minds and hearts
Local patients undergo treatment 24 hours a day, every day of the week. They have access to a therapeutic grid and receive care such as food, medication, occupational therapy, therapies with psychiatrists and psychologists, including, in some hospitals, with intervention assisted by dogs. According to the coordinator of nursing, Samara Morais, social actions can also assist in the treatment of patients.
“It helps a lot in self-esteem! They like these different events very much. They are very happy when they receive gifts, new blankets, and food. They eat a lot and always want to participate in some way. Now in the pandemic, we are restricting contact with visitors even more, and even so, they insist on being close and meeting new people. They are very curious! ”, He confesses.
Prevention measures for the new coronavirus were adopted by the volunteers for patient safety. Even in such a delicate moment, everyone was able to take care of patients and employees of the place. The president of the sanatorium, Renan Teixeira, thanked the Adventists for their work and informed them that all donations will be well used.
“I want to thank God for raising the Adventist Church on such a beautiful project to reach lives. We thank you for taking a stand in relation to the hospital, which is very needy and needs to be seen by everyone in a different way. Donations will contribute to improving our services and will be invested in patients and the entire team that is here at the sanatorium ”, he says.