Home-baked cookies to thank hospital staff

GEORGE NEWS - The 13-year-old Brooke Illman certainly sweetened up the staff of Mediclinic George when she presented them with stacks of home-baked biscuits this week. Brooke is the head girl of Study House School at the Garden Route Botanical Garden.

Hospital manager Kassie Karstens says Brooke's gesture inspired and was much appreciated by the staff, who are under additional stress in difficult times.

In a big thank you card Brooke's message was, "Thank you for everything you do for the city of George and all its people. We have a long road ahead of us but we know you will look after us and keep us safe. We appreciate all the sacrifices you have to make to be there to look after us all. You are angels on earth!"

Brooke got the idea to reach out to the hospital after reading an article about a girl in the USA who had made soup for essential workers. "I wanted to let all of our hospital staff know how thankful we are for what they are doing and how they put themselves at risk every day to help the people of George. I hope to do something for George Hospital next month," she says.

Brooke spent an entire Saturday to bake the cookies.

"I would like to become a general surgeon, that's why I'm so interested in interacting with hospitals and their staff."

It took her an entire Saturday to bake about 1 000 vanilla shortbread biscuits. "It's an old family recipe with reduced sugar, so they are healthier - 860 were packaged for all the Mediclinic personnel, security staff included."

Brooke only started baking during lockdown. "It was my birthday in April so I decided to make myself a cake. I had fun doing it so have been baking since then. I like baking biscuits as you can make so many shapes and varieties. My mom hates baking so I had to teach myself."

She also loves cooking, an interest which she developed because of her mom, Louise.

Kassie Karstens receives the biscuits and a thank you card from Brooke Illman.