Special delivery for H1N1 nurses

CHRIS SIMNETT
AHS Communications

John McFaul has two words for the Alberta Health Services nurses who are working at the H1N1 vaccination clinics:

Thank you.

McFaul, 55, spent Nov. 12 delivering bouquets of red and pink roses – each individually tagged with a message of thanks – to the six mass vaccination clinics in the city.

The Calgary resident hasn't received his H1N1 shot yet but decided the nurses needed some praise for their stellar efforts.

"I wanted to show some appreciation for all the work they're doing," he says.

"They’re the backbone of the system."

McFaul has friends in the health care system – one in Calgary and one who works for Health Canada in Ottawa – and he knows from speaking to them how hard people have been working around the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza issue.

"I thought the nurses needed a little bit of appreciation," he says.

"There was negativity early on about the lineups, so I thought I would do something positive for them because they are working so hard.

"I’m just one of the many people who are appreciative of what’s going on."

Indeed, staff at H1N1 clinics around the province report they have received other gifts from an appreciative public, including cupcakes, hot chocolate, tea and coffee.

As for McFaul, who runs a hiking and walking tours business, he bought about 270 roses, divided among a half-dozen vases, and personally delivered them to the six clinics.

The nurses at each site were thrilled at the gesture.

"This kind of thing is so encouraging to us. It's really nice that someone would do that for us," says registered nurse Marilyn Regnault.