An NHS doctor whose stolen bike was replaced by a community fundraiser has used the leftover donations to buy gifts for his burnt-out colleagues.
Dr Paul Chapman, a frontline worker at West Middlesex Hospital, was gutted after the bicycle he was gifted at Christmas was taken at the beginning of January.
The junior doctor relied on the bike to commute to hospital, where he has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
However, a kind stranger swooped in to save the day, creating a crowdfunding page after seeing the appeal on social media.
Local teacher Tiffany Robinson helped raise almost £1,000 within the Twickenham community – closing the fundraiser in under 24 hours after it was inundated with donations.
She gave the money to the doctor last week to purchase a new bike, lock and lights.
The Wandsworth Times also reported that Dr Chapman would be using the surplus money to buy a present for staff on his ward, which had been “dealing with Covid for too long."
True to his word, Dr Chapman provided an update revealing his special gift.
He shared photos of staff smiling through their face masks, with a new coffee machine and copious amounts of chocolate – curtsey of the Twickenham community.
He said: "It was such a great day on Monday bringing all of the treats in for the staff at work. I just wanted to put a portion of the money towards something that would have a lasting benefit for the team and give people a little treat to get them through the long days right now.
"I cannot thank the people who donated enough, the whole experience has been such a positive lift for myself and our ward."
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