By Alana Mitchelson
OFFICER Primary School children have donated 1000 handmade paper cranes to a Berwick hospital.
St Brigid’s students Bridie, Mia, Mary and Taylah have spent every Wednesday and Thursday lunchtime crafting hundreds of delicate paper cranes for the past 18 months.
St John of God Berwick’s Lisa Carman said the cranes were donated as a Christmas gift of hope for healing and peace.
“The cranes are beautifully coloured and strung together, hung down the main hallway, bringing a sense of joy and hope to visitors and caregivers at the hospital,” Ms Carman said.
“The girls were motivated to do this after their Japanese teacher told them the story of Sadako.”
Sadako Sasaki was a Japanese girl living in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan on 6 August, 1945.
Ten years later the 11-year-old was diagnosed with leukaemia, caused by radiation exposure.
While in the hospital Sadako folded paper cranes – in Japan there was a belief that if 1000 paper cranes were folded, a wish would come true.
St John of God Health Care director of mission Rhonda O’Connor said the girls had shown much compassion and dedication to their project.
“It is heart-warming and really special for both our team and for visitors to our hospital to view the colourful string of cranes which really symbolise a sense of healing and hope,” she said.
“We are grateful to the girls for their gift and for offering their best wishes to our patients.”
