Teen siblings send cards thanking health care worker heroes

Every day on every news channel, teenage siblings Prabhleen and Mantej Lamba watched the sacrifices of medical workers around the world who risk their physical and mental health on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We were really moved by this," said Prabhleen, 15, "and we knew that we had to involve our community and take action."

So in the spirit of the Sikh faith's core principle of "seva," or selfless service, the San Francisco Bay area teens launched an initiative they called Cards 4 Covid Heroes to let health care workers know how much they're appreciated.

In just two months, they've collected more than 250 thank you cards from members of the community, mailed to their home in the suburban city of Fremont. Then they've sent them to workers at four hospitals -- each along with a $10 VISA gift card.

The handwritten cards are often decorated with hearts, flowers, stars. One had a drawing of a hospital with the phrase, "Heroes work here." Girl Scout Troop 31164's message: "Thank you for going to work every day and being there when we need it the most."

The teens also created an e-card option that lets people go online and fill out a Google form. They then print out the message submitted there on a template that the siblings created. One of the cards pictures doctors and nurses donning capes and an image of Spider-Man with a stethoscope.

"During these times of darkness and uncertainty, we just wanted to try to shine some light on the fact that we do have true heroes working on the front lines who are trying their hardest to save people's lives," said Mantej, 17.

So far Prabhleen and Mantej have sent cards to the UC Davis Medical Center, the Los Angeles Community Hospital, the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and the Chandler Regional Medical Center in Arizona.

For the first two weeks, they drew on friends and family for support, but then they started a GoFundMe page to collect donations and buy more cards.

The feedback has been rewarding.

"We received pictures from the health care workers, and we can just see from their faces that a small nod of encouragement with a small $10 gift card can go a long way to encourage them and to help them get through the difficult days," Prabhleen said.

"They know that, 'OK, we're not alone. And there are people who do support us and care for us,'" she said.

In this Aug. 19, 2020, handout photo provided by Nykole Baltazar, health care worker Hasija Sisic holds a handwritten thank-you card while working at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center in San Francisco. Siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 cards to hospitals in California and Arizona. (Nykole Baltazar via AP)

In this Aug. 3, 2020, handout photo provided by Nykole Baltazar, health care worker Joe Caballero holds a handwritten thank-you card while working at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center in San Francisco. Siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 cards to hospitals in California and Arizona. (Nykole Baltazar via AP)

In this June 30, 2020, photo provided by Keith Levy, health care workers hold thank-you cards at Los Angeles Community Hospital in Los Angeles. Siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 cards to hospitals in California and Arizona. (Keith Levy via AP)

In this May 26, 2020, photo provided by Taranjit Singh Lamba, siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, left, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, collect thank-you cards from community members in Fremont, Calif. The teens started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 thank-you cards to health care workers in California and Arizona. (Taranjit Singh Lamba via AP)

Handwritten thank-you cards for health care workers are displayed in Fremont, Calif., in this June 2020, photo provided by Mantej Singh Lamba. Siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 thank-you cards to hospitals in California and Arizona. (Mantej Singh Lamba via AP)

In this June 30, 2020, photo provided by Keith Levy, health care workers hold thank-you cards at Los Angeles Community Hospital in Los Angeles. Siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 cards to hospitals in California and Arizona. (Keith Levy via AP)

In this Aug. 3, 2020, photo provided by Mantej Singh Lamba, e-cards are printed and prepared for delivery to health care workers, in Fremont, Calif. Siblings Mantej Singh Lamba, 17, and Prabhleen Singh Lamba, 15, started the Cards 4 Covid Heroes initiative in May and have since delivered more than 250 thank-you cards to hospitals in California and Arizona. (Mantej Singh Lamba via AP)