A Perthshire woman’s lockdown knitting project has become a whole community affair.
Friends, neighbours and even complete strangers have been donating wool to Cindy Courtney as she works on her creations for a range of good causes from her home in Stanley.
Her random acts of kindness have saved her from isolation and sparked gratitude from charities across the region.
It is a far cry from the abuse she received in the street at the start of the pandemic, simply for wearing a face mask.
Cindy has anaphylaxis, which means airborne particles could cause her to go into anaphylactic shock and kill her.
She wears a mask outside to protect her but as the virus spread last March, people began avoiding her in the mistaken belief she had Covid.
But Cindy believes the pandemic has opened people’s eyes to what life is like for her as she often has to stay inside her home.
As part of her latest philanthropic efforts, she is knitting colourful blankets for cats at the Petterden Animal Rescue Centre in Dundee.
Support from friends and strangers
Cindy’s friends and community have rallied round in support of her.
Friends have delivered wool to her home and even complete strangers have given her money to buy wool for the blankets.
She knits with her air purifier on beside her. The purifiers provide an extra line of defence from potentially fatal airborne particles.
“To keep me going, my friends brought me wool,” Cindy said. “My friends have given me a heap of wool.
“One said I should knit colourful blankets for the cats as the colours reassure them.
“Someone actually saw me in the street and said they saw me in the paper, and gave me four pounds to get some wool.
“With [the pandemic], I lost my confidence. I know I am helping others and that is helping me.”
Cindy has previously knitted items for neo-natal units, dog coats and items for the Cash for Kids charity.
Her knitting has sparked a huge sense of gratitude among both humans and animals at the centre.
Claire Faddel, manager of the SSPCA’s Angus, Fife and Tayside Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre, said: “We are so grateful to Cindy for knitting blankets for the animals in our care.
“It’s such a lovely, selfless gesture that she’s decided to use her time to help animals in need.
“Often the animals who come in to our care can find the centre environment quite overwhelming at first and a warm, snuggly blanket or their bed can make all the difference.
“We can’t thank Cindy enough and we’re sure all the animals in our care feel the same.”
Abused in the street
Cindy believes the pandemic has given people an insight into what life has always been like for her.
Amid the mandatory wearing of masks and increased isolation, she says people are experiencing parts of her everyday life which existed long before Covid arrived.
She said: “Most of the time I am inside because of my Anaphylactic Shock.
“People who used to take the mickey out of me have now said ‘it must be so hard for you’.
“What was it like for you during the pandemic? That is what it’s like for me all the time.”
Cindy Courtney has had to wear a protective facemask for several years due to her health condition.
It could potentially save her life as ordinary, everyday items like weed killer in the air could send her into anaphylactic shock.
In March last year, when the virus hit an increasing number of people in the UK, Cindy was abused by members of the public who assumed she had contracted Covid.
People were rude to her and even crossed the street to avoid her.
But Cindy hoped people would learn to not make assumptions about others without knowing the facts.
She said: “Maybe people will realise that someone has a medical condition instead of coronavirus if they are wearing a mask.”