Monday 24 March 2025
A memorial artwork capturing the challenges faced by Trust staff and patients during the Covid pandemic has today been unveiled – on the fifth anniversary of the first lockdown.
The Tree of Life project was led by art therapist Andy Walker and reflects the experiences, resilience and creativity of colleagues and people in our care during that time.
“This artwork is a snapshot of history. It serves as a lasting reminder of the pandemic, honouring the struggles faced, the unity found, and the hope for the future,” said Andy.
Tree of Life
Andy was running an art therapy group in County Durham when Covid first hit. Instead of closing the service down, he took it outside – making art while walking and talking with patients.
The pandemic became the focus of a unique art project, with group members creating photos and images of lockdown – including nature pictures, positive messages and mask selfies.
Colleagues from the across the Trust were also asked to send in their paintings or portraits for the project – with the final artwork, The Tree of Life, taking five years to complete.
“It is amazing to see it finally finished,” said Andy. “This has been a totally patient-led co-created project, with patient voice at the centre of everything. I think it is a very important piece of art.”
The Tree of Life artwork will initially be available to view online via our website – but large posters featuring the highly detailed image are also to be placed at sites across our Trust.
Durham resident Kay McNeil, who was part of Andy’s art therapy group when lockdown first started, created art work, nature photos and words of positivity and hope for the project.
“We had wellness walks and talked about art. Then we had a fabulous idea, while sitting under an amazing oak tree, of creating a collage to make a Tree of Life symbol,” she said.
“We initially called the project Hope, until settling on a forever name, and it gave me actual hope that there was some goodness in life, and I felt useful to others like me.
“I hope people going through the pain and confusion of mental illness find comfort in our art, that it reassures them they are not alone. Most importantly, I hope it makes them feel safe.”
Life changed by Covid
Composed of 2,025 images, including photos of patients and staff taken during lockdown, the Tree of Life stands as a tribute to the strength and solidarity shown during the pandemic.
Among those to have their photo featured in the collage is Trust lead occupational therapist Rachel Booth-Gardiner, whose life was turned upside down after catching Covid in 2020.
She spent more than a year in hospital, including five months in intensive care, and her journey to recovery was captured on camera by her photographer husband Anthony.
“This artwork represents the struggles we all faced during Covid and serves as a powerful reminder that it was a journey we have grown from – individually and collectively,” she said.
Rachel’s husband Anthony spent hours carefully weaving all the photos and art works together to create the final design of the Tree of Life – with her image included in the piece.
“It might bring back difficult memories, but I hope it shows the strength people have. It is testament to the solidarity and hope that carried us through challenging times,” she said.
Important piece of art
Dr Jo Nadkarni, director of therapies at Durham, Tees Valley and Forensic services, is also featured in the collage – and is a long-time supporter of the Tree of Life artwork.
She said: “It’s been amazing to be part of this evolving project, which has been driven by our service users, art therapist and had so many staff getting involved.
“This is an important art work with key messages around destigmatising mental health, as well as hope and living through Covid. It’s timely to share and reflect on images like these at this time.”
The artwork was co-produced by staff and patients across the Trust and will be used as a creative clinical tool – documenting a historical point in time.
“It’s a gallery of positive messages and images that are now in use amongst different hospital sites, and represent our values of respect, compassion and responsibility,” said Andy.
“Thank you to all the people involved with designing, supporting, participating, promoting and producing this piece of art.”
- Take a closer look at the Tree of Life artwork in this short video.
Why the impact of Covid should be remembered
Lead occupational therapist Rachel Booth-Gardiner has helped turn the dream of creating a Covid memorial artwork into reality – and it is a subject close to her heart.
Rachel, who works for our Trust, tested positive for Covid during the first lockdown of 2020. The disease had a profound impact on her health, and she was hospitalised for a year.
“I had to rebuild my strength and re-learn how to navigate life after leaving hospital. Returning to work as a wheelchair user has been a journey of resilience” she said.
It was just a month into the first lockdown of the pandemic, in April 2020, when Rachel started feeling unwell at work. As her symptoms got worse, so an ambulance was called.
Due to lockdown restrictions, she had to travel to hospital alone. Once at A&E she tested positive for Covid and was admitted. After that, her life changed forever.
“What followed is a confusing memory, but I spent around five months in and out of ITU, both at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough and the Freeman in Newcastle,” she said.
“Then, once I was stable, I started rehabilitation. Due to muscle wastage and the damage done by a series of health complications, I had to relearn how to control my body again.”
Rebuilding her life
Rachel spent 12 September 2020 – what should have been her wedding day – on a medical ward waiting for a space in neuro rehab. She also spent Christmas 2020 in hospital.
She was finally discharged in April 2021 and returned home. But, while this marked the end of her hospital stay, it was just the beginning of a long and challenging road to recovery.
“Putting weight through my right leg was very challenging. Sometimes the effort was too much, and I needed to be hoisted up from the floor if my legs gave way,” she said.
“But these things happen, and I was not going to let it put me off. That is the reality of rehab. It’s not all win-win, there are always setbacks.”
Despite her on-going health challenges, Rachel managed to have the “best day of her life” on 7 October 2021 – when she finally got to marry her husband, Anthony.
And, with Anthony by her side, Rachel continued her battle back to health. As her hair started to grow back, so did her strength – both physically and psychologically.
Taking on challenges
Over the next year she underwent several operations and on-going rehab sessions – with a major milestone being the day she walked into a hydrotherapy session on sticks.
Finally, on 7 October 2022 she was fit enough to return to work full-time – although this time using a wheelchair, which brought a fresh set of challenges.
“My husband Anthony, who is a photographer, documented my journey as a way to capture the strength, resilience, and hope that carried us through this challenging time,” she said.
“He also helped to put all the 2,000-plus artworks together for the Tree of Life design and this collective effort symbolises that we continue to grow even in our toughest moments.”
