Kind Gestures Make Difference to Hospitalised Veteran

An artist from Matlock, in Derbyshire, has helped a Salisbury veteran pick up the pieces of her life after discovering a passion for jigsaw puzzles.

Former Army nurse Linda Harris is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Salisbury Hospital, undergoing treatment for a severe respiratory condition.

She is supported there by Help for Heroes’ hospital-based nurse, Julie Wadham, who aids all members of the Armed Forces community in the facility and helps educate staff about the importance of recognising and supporting them.

Julie explained: “We host a monthly veterans’ café at Andover Community Engage (ACE), and the venue has plenty of books and jigsaws for anybody who wants one. 

“I saw a puzzle called Puzzle of Positivity, full of bright, cheerful colours, and positive messages. I told the staff about Linda and how it might work for her and they, very kindly, said ‘take it’.

“Linda’s been given jigsaw puzzles to do, previously, but she’d found some really challenging. But I thought she’d love this one – and she did. Indeed, so did hospital staff; some popped in to help her with it, and I know of some who actually purchased their own.

“When I mentioned it to a colleague, she said I should contact the designer of the puzzle and let them know because they’d probably love to hear the story. I found a website and I emailed and they forwarded it to her. And she responded and sent Linda another one of her puzzles, called Puzzle of Dreams.”

The artist, Katie Abey, said: “I really am pleased that the daft messages in my art resonated so much with such an inspirational human.”                                                                

Understandably, Linda was moved by the gesture, and the puzzles continued to distract her from everything going on around her as she entered her fourth month in the hospital’s ITU. Now, she’s back home and looking forward to completing the second puzzle.

She said: “I really enjoyed doing the first puzzle because it was a lovely distraction from all the things going on around me. It was just nice and colourful and bright, with lots of different animals, and positive statements. I guess that’s why it was called the Puzzle of Positivity. 

“It came at the right time for me. I enjoyed doing it and I think I’d have enjoyed doing it whenever. But it was one of the first puzzles I’ve done on my own, more or less. 

“Julie brought one in about the 1970s but everybody joined in with that one. I told everybody, with the Puzzle of Positivity, to leave me alone to do it.”

Linda added: “I was just so touched that Katie had taken the time to actually send me a little card to say, ‘best wishes, please do enjoy the puzzle’. The fact she took the time out to do that was great. She didn’t have to send me anything. I just thought it was a lovely gift.

“And I’ve saved the Puzzle of Dreams for now I’m home; that was what I wanted, to have it at home. And then I’m going to share it with some other people as well so they can get something from it too. 

“I’m home; that’s the main thing really. I was in the ICU for a day under five months, so I’m just delighted to be home.

“I have to say, Julie has been wonderful. She goes above and beyond with her support. And she always turns up with a smile on her face. I can’t speak highly enough of her.”

Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps people live well after service. The Charity supports veterans and their families with their physical and mental health, as well as welfare and social needs. It has already supported tens of thousands - and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.   

The Charity supports veterans from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces.