This Ramadan and Eid al Fitr was definitely a much different celebration than usual. With COVID-19 in full force, we celebrated this year in quarantine. However, we are still so blessed that we got to celebrate Eid with our immediate families in the comfort of our own home.
Our hearts go out to the many Muslims in America who are healthcare workers and didn’t get to celebrate Eid at all with their families. All throughout Ramadan, they worked under extremely dire conditions treating COVID-19 patients while also observing their obligatory fasts.
For example, Dr. Yussr Ibrahim in Portland, ME worked as an anesthesia resident in the ICU. She saw COVID-19 patients on the frontline everyday. Her shifts were from 4:30 am to 7:00 pm while observing Ramadan fasting throughout the duration of her shift.
Dr. Noveera Mirza in Detroit, Michigan worked as a pediatric resident in the emergency department seeing COVID-19 in children during Ramadan. Living alone in Michigan for her residency, she was uncertain if she’d be able to celebrate Eid with her family who lives in California.
Dr. Abdu Sharkawy from Toronto, Canada shared an emotional video about how he was unable to spend Eid at home with his kids because he was in hospital treating sick COVID-19 patients.
Many Muslim cultures strongly encourage their kids to become doctors, nurses, or other healthcare practitioners and as a result there are a lot of Muslims in the American healthcare system.
This Eid, it would be a great gesture to send them a thank you note in hospital for all their hard work, sacrifice and service. They couldn’t celebrate Eid at home but, together we can bring Eid to them in hospital! Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Print, purchase or make an Eid card. Here is a free printable coloring page designed for you, you can also purchase an Eid card from the Hello Holy Days Shop or make your own handmade card!
Step 2: Go to www.18millionthanks.com, an organization working to send thank you notes to the 18 million healthcare workers in America, for a list of hospitals accepting cards. You can also send to your local hospital but be sure to check in advance if they’re accepting mail as many hospitals are not accepting mail at this time.
Step 3: Mail out your Eid/ thank you card to the healthcare workers.
Step 4: Add the number of cards you mailed out to 18 Million Thanks “Card Counter”. (Over 12 000 thank you cards have been mailed out to healthcare workers in America so far!)
Hope you enjoy coloring this free printable with your kids and mailing out Eid cards to healthcare workers. Thank you for joining us in showing gratitude to our healthcare heroes!
- Hello Holy Days!
- Hello Holy Days Shop!
- Shop products by Hello Holy Days!
f you participate in this activity and mail out our coloring page to healthcare workers, we’d love to see! Share it with us on social media by tagging @helloholydays and @18millionthanks!
