DOZENS of teddy bears, medical supplies and £5,600 in travellers' cheques have been delivered to a deprived Sri Lankan hospital to help transform the lives of staff and patients.
Over the last five months Hullavington nurse Sarah Bolton, who works at Tetbury Hospital, has led an appeal to raise money for improvements to the hospital in Bentota, on the island's southern coast.
Thanks to the contributions of various local schools, individuals and groups and businesses in the community she mustered £5,600 to take to the island at the end of last month.
Joining her on the nine-day visit were Tetbury Hospital Trust manager Lynne Bowman and Sarah's 15-year-old daughter Rosie, who used the trip as her school work experience placement.
Together with the money they took 50 teddy bears, hand knitted by parishioners at St Mary's church in Hullavington, plus an otoscope and ophthalmoscope (for examining eyes and ears) donated by a medical supply company.
As well as plenty of pens, note books and kaleidoscopes, Sarah even took packets of Werther's Original sweets to give out to children.
After settling in and aclimatising over the weekend Sarah and Rosie arrived at the hospital on Monday to assess exactly where the money needed to be spent.
They then bumped into a local hotel worker called Dillan, who they met on a previous visit.
It was he who took out on a tour of the areas still reeling from the impact of the Boxing Day tsunami.
An extract from the diary kept by Sarah throughout her visit gives Dillan's recollection of the moment the waves struck - a point at which he fled on to a mosque's roof.
It said: "The sound was tremendous, tonnes of water crashing through buildings, tossing boats and everything in its path.
"But loudest of all were the screams of the people."
Thousands of displaced families are still living in wooden sheds and tents, with no sanitation, as they attempt to rebuild their homes and lives, explained Sarah.
A trip to a medical supplier later ensued, where the business acumen of Mrs Bowman proved invaluable in getting a good deal.
"She wheeled and dealed and threatened to leave and she got us what we wanted." said Sarah.
They aquired an adult and children's suction machine, used to remove excretions during operations, a set of surgical instruments, a sterilizer and a lockable glass cabinet.
Later, they bought 50 mosquito nets, desks, chairs, fans, and a computer and printer for the hospital's only senior doctor.
Essential electrical repairs were paid for, as was work on the leaking roof of the children's ward and equipment for the water system.
To the hospital staff however, the most impressive gift was a new fridge freezer.
Sarah said: "Oh, their faces when the fridge is wheeled in.
"They stroked it, opened and closed the doors and marvelled at the fact that it has tempeerature control and can make ice."
This fridge freezer is vital in producing ice packs which keep vaccines cooler and enable the doctor to take them further afield to more patients than before.
Despite the success of the appeal and trip, Sarah is determined to continue her aid efforts and has new ambitions.
She added: "The next thing I would really like to buy is a new table for the operating theatre, it's just held together by rust.
"I would also like to completely rewire the hospital, it hasn't been touched for 30 years, it's absolutely awful."
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