85th Year Birthday Gift for Queenstown’s Newest Arrival

One of Queenstown’s newest arrivals, baby Tim Craigie received a unique birthday gift from one of its more senior residents when Mary Lines from Arrowtown, who turned 85 years old on the 2nd September, gifted a special woollen blanket that she had made by hand, to the baby born closed to her birthday.

Baby Tim was born at Lakes District Hospital in the early hours of 31st August, the third child to be born to parents Anita Holthaus and Cameron Craigie who live in Glenorchy. He was the lucky recipient of the blanket, and his mum was delighted with the gift: “it was a lovely surprise to receive the blanket – we don’t have a crocheted blanket for him and it will be nice for him to have something special of his own, being the third child.”

The woollen blanket was created by Mary using local wool from the Wakatipu area which she has spun, hand dyed, and crocheted herself. Mary wanted to give a gift this birthday, rather then just receive gifts as she explains: ”When you get to my age you don’t really need any presents so I thought it would be nice to give a present to someone else,” said Mary.

Mary is a member of the Wakatipu Spinners and Weavers group, and has been knitting and donating beanies to babies in the Lakes District Hospital Maternity Unit for several years. Previously Mary worked as a General Registered Nurse, which included six months maternity training, so has a real empathy with the local birthing unit and the important service it provides to local mums.

Talking about the special gift, Ann Mackay, Midwifery Co-ordinator, Lakes District Hospital said, “Mary’s gift is really special and we’d love to thank all the wonderful people like Mary who donate clothing and other goods to mums here at Lakes. A lot of our local families are from overseas and therefore don’t have family here, so the extra support that the gifts bring is really important and welcomed. We are really grateful to Mary and other local knitters to help us to keep our local babies warm and well.”

The Hospital wishes to advise that anyone wishing to donate woollen clothing or blankets for babies can deliver them to Lakes District Hospital so that they can be gifted to new babies in need.

ENDS

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