Ambulance staff celebrated in portrait series

Three frontline ambulance workers from the East of England Ambulance Service have been recognised and appreciated through a patient’s hobby, chosen as her heartfelt tribute to NHS staff.

Paramedic Lewis Tremlin, Apprentice Paramedic Jamie Mellan, and Emergency Medical Technician Paul Rich were presented with their portraits by artist Chris Goddard at her home in Thetford.

Chris, a psychotherapist by profession, first picked up a paintbrush during the 2020 lockdown while undergoing breast cancer treatment. What began as a way to keep her mind occupied has grown into a heartfelt mission and she has now painted the portraits of nearly 170 NHS and support workers.

During the pandemic, Chris invited those she painted to share personal reflections on how they coped. These stories were compiled alongside the portraits in a book, ‘making it a team book’ which is now preserved in a local library as a historical record of those extraordinary times.

Her connection with Lewis, Jamie, and Paul came after they attended her husband, Howard, in recent months.

In appreciation of their care, Chris asked if they would join her growing list of “victims,” as she affectionately calls her portrait subjects.

For Chris, the project is about more than art.

“Handing over the portraits I’ve painted to my victims is a real honour, and it was a great pleasure to see Lewis, Jamie and Paul after all they did for us,” she said.

“I started painting when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the start of the pandemic, as I needed something to occupy my mind, and it was a way of saying thank you for the wonderful care I received.

“Having finished my treatment, I decided to carry on painting health care workers that we came into contact with. I am very mindful that all our wonderful NHS, support and front-line workers pitched up to look after us all through those difficult covid times. And now they continue to pitch up through these different but still difficult times – and we very much appreciate this.”

I have three more portraits of East of England Ambulance Service workers to hand over in the coming months.

The three ambulance staff presented with their portraits were delighted with them and say will take pride of place in their homes.

Lewis Tremlin said:

“It’s really touching to feel appreciated and to have Chris show her gratitude in such a detailed, beautiful way – it really is special.”

Chris’s work stands as a lasting tribute to the dedication of healthcare professionals across West Suffolk and beyond.

Her book, ‘HOPE, Portraits of my Journey Through Breast Cancer and Covid’, is available on Amazon, with all proceeds going to St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.