'It made me cry' - wife's delight at husband's postcard from nursing home

(Above) The postcard that Pam Heard's husband Don sent her form Portiuncula Nursing Home.

The arrival of one of the 5m free postcards supplied by An Post to help keep people connected have put smiles on plenty of people's faces, none more so than Lismacaffrey's Pam Heard.

Earlier this week Pam received a postcard from her husband of 44 years Don who has been a patient at the Portiuncula Nursing Home in Multyfarnham for over four years.

Usually Pam visits Don, who suffers from dementia, four times a week but hasn't been able to do so since visitor restrictions at the home were introduced over five weeks ago.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Pam said that not being able to see her husband has been “really hard” on both of them. They speak on the phone and communicate on Skype, but it is not the same.

She got a very pleasant surprise this week when her local postman delivered a postcard from Don to their home on Westmeath Longford border. The postcard was written for Don by a member of staff and he signed his signature.

“I didn't know it was coming. It made me cry and when I sent a photo of it to our children in England it made them cry.”

Pam has rheumatoid arthritis and quite sensibly is self-isolating. This is made a lot easier by the close knit community in Lismacaffrey, she says.

“I get out walking the dogs three or four times a week but I don't see a soul. My friends have been very good, getting shopping and other bits.”

There has been precious little to smile about in recent weeks, but the delivery of Don's postcard has help lifted Pam's spirits. She says that An Post should be commended for helping people stay in touch the old fashioned way.

“It's a lovely touch. Thank you An Post for your free postage card and a big thank you to Portiuncula for this very kind act it meant the world.”