Autistic teenager receives response from Leo Varadkar while writing thank you notes to 600 healthcare workers

Teenager aims for a target of 5,000 cards, which his mother expects him to exceed

(@Indra68/Twitter/PA)

An autistic teenager is aiming to send 5,000 thank you cards to healthcare workers as a coping mechanism for his severe anxiety around the pandemic. 

Patrick Joyce, 16, from Glasgow, began writing to healthcare staff in mid-January to thank them for helping Covid-19 patients.

He has already sent 600 cards and has received many responses, including from former Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Writing in response to Patrick – also known as Paddy – Mr Varadkar, who returned to medicine last year, thanked the teenager for his "lovely colourful" card and said the letter is now sitting on the window sill in his office.

((@Indra68/Twitter))

Patrick's mother, Indra Joyce, said he had been living with severe anxiety as a result of the pandemic, but his mental health had been “transformed” by writing these letters. 

"He was having a complete breakdown. I had to get emergency support," Ms Joyce told the PA news agency.

"He was so fixated on the Covid stats and particularly the deaths.

"He's now a happy boy. It has transformed him. Paddy feels useful and that he is making a difference."

Patrick has been diagnosed with various cognitive disabilities, including global developmental delay (GDD) and autism.

"Patrick is 16, but due to GDD he is more like a seven to eight-year-old," Ms Joyce said.

"But throughout all his struggles and difficulties, he has always been sweet-natured and he gets upset when people are sad and wants to hug them to make it better."

Ms Joyce started the project when she took to Twitter in January to ask for the contact information of hospital addresses in the UK, so that Patrick could put pen to paper and write out his thank you letters.

Ever since, Ms Joyce said her son has since been averaging between 10 and 50 cards per day.

"It depends how keen he is and how much energy he has, and if the footie is on," she said, noting Patrick is a keen Everton fan.

Ms Joyce said she expects him to exceed his 5,000-card target, adding: "Once he decides something, he's fairly determined to stick to it."

Speaking during children's mental health week, Ms Joyce said she would recommend parents find similar activities if their child is struggling with anxiety about the pandemic.

"If it helps (I'm) all for it," she said.

"I knew Paddy loved writing ... others might find solace in art, or fitness, or music, but I support and help him too, so it's also helped our relationship."