Remembrance Day 2024 was a particularly special day for Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
We were honoured to welcome our Patrons, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC and Mr Dennis Wilson to a meaningful ceremony where they accepted the beautiful, brand-new Poppy Field Artwork on our behalf.
This artwork is a stunning replacement for our original ‘poppy blanket’ that went missing from the foyer of the hospital on Anzac Day last year.
Following its disappearance, members of our wonderful supporter community joined forces (and knitting needles) to stitch a replacement. The project was kicked off in August by the Holy Name of Mary Parish Knitting Group, or the ‘Twiddle Muff team’, named after the hand-knitted sensory items the group made for people experiencing dementia.
In September, the Twiddle Muff team came together at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse for a day of knitting and crocheting. By late October, the dedicated group of knitters had expanded to include an additional ten mums from Trinity Grammar School.
“What started as a problem became a joyous challenge that brought friends and strangers together,” says Patricia Curtin from the Twiddle Muff knitting group. “It was many hands with one heart that created this blanket.”
With the support of patient advocate and board member Gail O’Brien AO, the poppies were then carefully stitched onto the fabric over three weeks to complete the Poppy Field Artwork – just in time for Remembrance Day.
We want to thank the Hon. Margaret Beazley AC KC and Mr Dennis Wilson for attending the ceremony, and to all the wonderful members of our supporter community who stitched and sewed tirelessly. Your efforts ensured that the spirit of our community can continue to play an important role in our hospital’s tradition of remembrance.
