Louise and Helen McConnell from Newtownards have very kindly donated a stunning, framed, superhero diamond painting to the Ulster Hospital, in acknowledgement of the exceptional work and commitment of the staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Louise and Helen created this striking diamond painting over a six month period. They painstakingly added thousands of individual diamonds to the canvas, which took a lot of time, concentration and patience. The painting measures 100cm x 60cm and depicts a variety of superheroes bowing their heads in recognition of healthcare staff, which both Louise and Helen felt was a fitting tribute to present to the Hospital.
Helen explained, “Diamond painting is a hobby that we both enjoy in our spare time, when I saw this image I instantly felt drawn to it but I knew that due to the scale of the piece it would not be an easy task. We worked on the painting separately, as it takes quite a lot of focus and concentration, but we did spend time together to motivate each other when the going was tough.
“It was a pleasure to create this painting with the intentions of donating it to the hospital staff as a way to recognise their unwavering dedication, care and heroic status through the pandemic and every day of the year.
“The staff have been so welcoming and truly appreciate the hard work that went into completing the painting. We hope that it brings a sense of joy to all who visit the café to take a much needed break.”
Director of Hospital Services, Dr David Robinson accepted this wonderful gift on behalf of Trust staff, he expressed his gratitude by saying, “I am delighted to meet Louise and Helen today and to witness the hanging of their wonderful tribute to the care and dedication of our staff, they are superheroes indeed.”
Clinical Manager of Emergency and Acute Medicine, Cathy Hanna was delighted to be present to witness the donation and said, “This is a very generous and thoughtful gift from Louise and Helen, the time and effort that has gone into this work of art is astonishing. I would like to say thank you to them for their hard work on behalf of all the staff.”
The diamond painting is displayed in Café Connect, the main restaurant in the Ulster Hospital, so it can be enjoyed by staff, patients and visitors.