Aspen Medical Team Spreads the Christmas Cheer

Aspen Medical Fiji chief executive officer Annette Owttrim led her team in spreading the Christmas cheer at Lautoka City and Ba yesterday.

The team gave Christmas gifts to children at the St Tabitha Orphanage Fiji at Saweni, Lautoka, and the Veilomani Boys Home in Ba.

Ms Owttrim said it was wonderful to join the staff of Lautoka Hospital and Ba Hospital as part of their

community service.

She said that instead of having the staff of different departments participating in gift exchanges, they opted to get gifts and donate them to children in the orphanages.

“This is a tradition that we have at Aspen Medical in Australia,” she said.

“We put a Christmas tree for the first time at Lautoka Hospital and Ba Hospital and invited any of the staff who would like to donate a present for the children. This year a number of the departments,

rather than having their own secret Santa or Christmas party, donated a present under the tree.

“It is a beautiful facility and these children have so much to offer the world. Sometimes they haven’t had the easiest start, so it is a little bit of something that we can give.”

She said without realising it, people sometimes took life for granted.

“It’s very humbling to be able to dig deep ourselves and give something to those who aren’t as fortunate so that we can spread the joy of Christmas.

“We hope that it can extend from here that we can help with some of the healthcare and come down and we can do that on a voluntary basis.”

Father Andronikos Erasmus, who is managing the home along with his wife, Presu Yulitta Erasmus, said the gifts created a pathway for the children saying educating them was more of a blessing to give than to receive.

“Christmas for us as Christians is a time of giving and we celebrate the birth of Jesus which is God’s gift and saviour to the world,” Father Andronikos said.

“Many of these kids don’t have families to spend Christmas with and having people like Aspen to come and give gifts, it shares the true meaning of Christmas spirit and that is the love and family cheer.”

There are about 20 children residing at the home. com.fj

Photo: Nicolette Chambers (From Left) Aspen Medical Fiji executive assistant, Nicole Herberts, project manager - capital works, Martin Lane, chief operations officer, Barry Herberts, CEO, Annette Owttrim, St Tabitha Orphanage Fiji home manager, Father Andronikos Erasmus holding his son, Theodore, Lautoka Hospital medical superintendent Dr Rigamoto Taito and Presu Yulitta Erasmus at Saweni, Lautoka on December 21, 2022.