Cardiac outpatient Tony has been painting for over forty years and having recently spent a three-week stint in PAH ICU with heart failure, he couldn’t wait to get back to his true love.
His other true love, wife Sandy, is also an artist and together they’ve owned galleries and painted almost every day of their lives.
As a special thank you to the Heart Recovery Science team, Tony has contributed a number of gorgeous pieces to adorn the walls of the gym where he is pedalling, leg-pressing and walking his way back to strength.
“I’ve donated four paintings for the cardiac gym, including this one which can look like a window looking out – and I’ve finished them all since I got out of hospital,” Tony said.
“I couldn’t wait to get back to painting when I was in hospital, as I was missing it a lot.”
Tony’s colourful contributions will brighten the space for his rehab staff and fellow patients alike, something Associate Clinical Nurse Consultant Bella can attest to.
“Tony had a difficult, long admission, and our team saw him after he’d left the hospital – he’s come ahead leaps and bounds,” she said.
“He comes every week with a smile and he is motivated to learn, we are a lot about self-management and he takes that on.
“This is a brand-new gym space and we have a lot of education on the walls, but it is so special to have a patient’s touch with this art – it shows what our patients can go on to achieve with support to get better, and it can be motivational for our other patients.”