A LITTLE girl has thanked the NHS teams who cared for her when she spent weeks in hospital by selling brightly painted rocks.

Rubie Douglas, eight, set about creating the intricate painted pebbles during lockdown.

The Broomgrove Junior School pupil collected the stones on walks near her home in Wivenhoe and created a business plan to collect as much money as possible.

It is Rubie’s way of saying thank you to the hospital which helped to save her life after her appendix ruptured.

She then had to return to hospital a few weeks later when an infection spread, followed by a further trip when drains put in then twisted inside her.

Rubie is now fully recovered but had to spend nearly two weeks in the high dependency unit at Colchester Hospital.

Her mum Coralie, 31, said: “When she was ill she had more than a term off school and needed three operations. The nurses were amazing to her and that stuck in her mind. She asked if the money could go to the staff.

“As parents we will never forget it. The staff were brilliant and this was a way to give something back to them.”

As part of her recovery, Rubie enjoyed arts and crafts in hospital.

The Year 4 pupil said: “I really like arts and crafts. When I was in hospital it was the arts and crafts table I liked to go to most.

“I thought it would be nice to do something for everyone in the NHS, as they helped me get better when my appendix ruptured.

“I have painted lots of different pictures on the rocks, but my favourite is the heart with rainbows.

“I’ve painted sunflowers, animals and even done some that are decoupaged using napkins.”

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The idea was sparked after Rubie started reading a business studies book she found on a shelf at home.

Coralie, a virtual assistant for Argem, said: “She came downstairs one day with one of my university business books.

“She asked if instead of homework she could create a business plan from one of the books.

“She came up with painting rocks for the NHS. I wondered what the catch was. I thought ‘Well, who am I to dim her light’, and helped her plan the marketing and finances around it.”

With the help of her mum, Rubie even set up her own website Rubie Rocks.

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Coralie said: “She designed it, came up with the name, told me what she wanted to say on there and added photos.

“I shared it on my Facebook feed and Rubie said she was so nervous in case she didn’t get any orders.”

But overnight orders flooded in, with Rubie charging £3 for each rock, plus £2 if they needed to be posted.

Since then Rubie has painted more than 100 rocks and raised £650 for the staff at Colchester Hospital.

Her rocks have even been purchased by people living in Buckinghamshire and Norwich along with neighbours.

Coralie said: “Everyone has been so supportive. Her teacher thinks it’s a great project, and her music teacher even ordered one with musical notes on it.

“We’ve decided to stop taking any more orders now, but we’re so grateful to everyone who has bought one. It’s meant so much to us.”