WATCH — Community Delivers Handmade Cards to Lift Hospital Patients’ Spirits: ‘It Meant So Much’

A 74-year-old woman named Eileen Michaels is on a mission to help hospital patients feel loved and connected to others through heartfelt cards.

“Not only were people suffering, but they were suffering a lot,” she said of the project that began at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Michaels, who is a former Wall Street executive and nurse, reached out on social media asking neighbors in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, to write cards for patients. It took mere hours for hundreds to be dropped off on her doorstep, CBS News reported Monday.

“Pretty soon we had cards coming out of our ears,” noted Carol Rizzo, who distributed the cards at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, adding patients were tearful and appreciated the fact people went out of their way to encourage them.

“We made a community,” Michaels explained. “Our community goes down as far as New Jersey and as far as Asbury Park and as a result of my work and then other people joining and it just goes.”
Patient Mark Fugel had been alone for five days after a recent surgery when he got a handmade card from someone he did not know.

“I’m going to get emotional,” he told CBS. “It’s very sweet, people thinking of us in the hospital these days. There are a lot of elderly and isolated people who feel lost. Just little things like this are beautiful.”

When asked how it made her feel to see boxes of cards piled up on her doorstep waiting to be delivered, Michaels exclaimed, “Christmas!”

Most of the card writers are unknown but come from all backgrounds and are a myriad of ages, including a seven-year-old girl who said, “We’re gonna give them to the people that are sick,” while holding up the cards she made.

YouTube users praised Michaels and her neighbors for caring for their loved ones who are in recovery.

“Thank you Eileen!! My father was one of the lucky ones to receive a beautiful card! It meant so much to us!” one person wrote.

“Eileen and the folks who make the cards are such empathetic, beautiful human beings,” another commented.