Summary

This letter was sent by Imogen (with the help of a grown-up) from Lane Cove NSW to the patients of The Alfred hospital's Burns Unit after the Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009.

Physical Description

Single sheet of A4 in textured blue with writing in pink. On the reverse the background is purple with drawings in pink and yellow.

Significance

This card of one of many that were received by The Alfred hospital in the days following the bushfires of February 2009. People around the world responded to the crisis with donations of money and material aid but they also wanted to express personal messages of hope and support directly to the people involved. The Burns Unit, as one of the major hospital services receiving victims of the bushfires, was swamped with cards, letters and gifts not only for the patients but also for the staff of the Unit. This collection illustrates the power of the media in conveying the effects of the fires, but more importantly it demonstrates people's need to connect directly with the victims and their carers, regardless of whether they even knew their names.

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