Sometimes, the smallest items can carry the biggest messages.
A little piece of fabric, a few careful stitches and a name belonging to someone you may never meet.
But tucked inside each tiny handmade heart was something far more precious — a reminder that, even on the hardest days, somebody out there cares.
That was the beautiful message shared by Logan Hospital’s mental health teams, who stitched hundreds of pocket-sized hearts to give to patients, visitors and staff during Queensland Mental Health Week.
Each little gift came with a special message encouraging its recipient to give the heart a gentle squeeze whenever they needed a little love, hope, courage or comfort.
And there was another lovely personal touch.
Every card was signed by the person who made the heart, connecting two strangers through a simple act of kindness.
Logan Hospital administration officer Belinda Venables helped organise the initiative alongside recreation officers and members of the hospital’s mental health teams.
“We believe that making and sharing these hearts is a simple way we can spread kindness, show compassion,” Ms Venables said.
The hearts were inspired by 1000 Hearts, a global kindness movement founded in Australia by Tasmanian Sarah De Jonge in 2016.
What began with one woman hand-stitching 1000 little hearts to give away has grown into an international community of people sharing handmade reminders that nobody has to feel forgotten.
And the hearts don’t have to be perfectly made to carry that message.
“A heart full of love is the best kind of heart, even if they’re a little wonky or imperfect,” Ms De Jonge writes on the project’s website.
At Logan Hospital, the gifts were handed out from a pop-up stall at the main entrance, alongside artwork created by mental health consumers.
Among the displays was a poster filled with encouraging words and messages of hope, adding another little burst of kindness to the celebrations.
The initiative was inspired by Queensland Mental Health Week’s theme, Build Community, Build Wellbeing.
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