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A stay in hospital is not most children’s idea of fun but the Wollongong Heights Lioness Club hopes to lift their spirits by providing pretty pillowcases.
The club, which has 16 members, made 71 pillowcases for Wollongong Hospital Children’s Ward and gave their handiwork to hospital staff last Tuesday.
And patients in the children’s ward can take the pillowcases home after they are released from hospital.
First to check out the colourful creations was eight-year-old Joseph Passaliokis of Woonona, who was in the 28-bed ward for a day to get his broken wrist reset.
The pillowcases impressed Joseph: ‘‘They are very interesting and cool.’’
Wollongong Heights Lioness president Heather Howe said the club started making the slips last September after treasurer Janice Bartlett came up with the idea.
‘‘She actually saw it on the internet. A young lass suffering from cancer had done it, so we borrowed the idea and extended it,’’ Ms Howe said.
‘‘It provides the children with something not so clinical to brighten their stay in hospital.’’
Every club member was involved in the project and either donated material or sewed the pillowcases or both.
Children’s ward acting nursing manager Narelle Wood welcomed the Lionesses’ gift.
‘‘If the children can take them [pillowcases] home it’s a memento from their time in hospital and might make it a more positive experience than a negative one,’’ she said.
The group is currently knitting and sewing pouches for abandoned animals for WIRES to use.