Help us remember all those we have lost to Covid-19

Colleagues across Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) are fundraising with the ambition to create a pair of memorial ‘Rainbow Gardens’ at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI) and Bassetlaw Hospital sites respectively.

The gardens, once created, will be dedicated to the memory of all of those people we have lost to Covid-19, and two much-missed colleagues, Dr Medhat Atalla and Kevin Smith, who sadly passed away following treatment for the illness earlier this year.

To help us remember these friends and loved ones, we are asking the people of Doncaster, Bassetlaw and surrounding areas to help us raise the following:

To support the Rainbow Garden’s appeal you can click the link at the top of this page. Alternatively, you can contact the fundraising team on 01302 644244.​ For more info go to: https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/charity/rainbow-gardens/

To date 200 people have sadly died at the Trust from Covid-19. Please do something truly amazing and donate however much you comfortably can to ensure that we do not forgot those that we have lost to this horrible virus as well as create a space of comfort dedicated to their memories.

Paul Haslam, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Rekha Ramanath, Consultant Care of the Elderly, who are both leading on the project, said:

Where will the gardens be?

We are planning to have two separate Rainbow Gardens, one at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and the other at Bassetlaw Hospital.

Proposed site at Doncaster Royal Infirmary:

At Doncaster Royal Infirmary, the garden will be nearby the site's Fracture Clinic overlooking our Women's and Children's Hospital. Currently, this space is just grassed and unused. Our aim is to transform this into a beautiful space in memory of those we have lost. Finally, here is the aerial view of proposed site of the garden:

Proposed site at Bassetlaw Hospital:

At Bassetlaw Hospital, the garden will be nearby the Children's Observation Unit, towards the rear of the site. Currently, this space is just grassed and unused. Our aim is to transform this into a beautiful space in memory of those we have lost. Finally, here is the aerial view of proposed site of the garden:

About Kevin Smith

On Easter Sunday, Kevin Smith, our beloved colleague passed away following treatment for Covid-19.

A Plaster Technician at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and a valued and respected member of the team since 1983, Kev, as he was known to friends, cared for thousands of patients throughout his career. So well-known and thought of was the Doncaster resident that he was often stopped and thanked whenever he was out and about by those he had so expertly patched-up, potted and plastered.

Following the announcement of Kevin’s passing, thousands of colleagues across DBTH came together and clapped for him for one minute. This was in addition to the countless messages left on Facebook, describing him at the town’s ‘very best pot man’ amongst other heartfelt tributes.

About Dr Medhat Atalla

On Wednesday 22 April, Dr Medhat Atalla passed away at Doncaster Royal Infirmary following treatment for Covid-19 at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Dr Atalla became a full-time member of our Trust in 2014, when he was appointed as a Consultant Geriatrician on our Gresley Unit. We were fortunate to have worked with him for many years prior to this, since his arrival in the United Kingdom in the early 2000s, where he cared for many elderly patients in hospitals throughout the North of England.

Born and raised in Egypt, Dr Atalla trained to become a doctor in Cairo throughout the 1980s before moving to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the 1990s and finally to the UK a decade later.

Following the announcement of Medhat's passing, thousands of colleagues across DBTH came together and clapped for him for one minute. A hugely popular and respected colleague, Dr Atalla was a very special human being who practised medicine across three continents throughout his career, affecting the lives of so many in such a positive way. He was a truly gentle gentleman and is hugely missed by us all.

Get in touch

You can contact the fundraising team on 01302 644244.​ For more info go to: https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/charity/rainbow-gardens/