The card has an image of a lamp post illuminated and decorated with a bright red bow and encircled with strands of greenery. Inside there is a holiday greeting: “We wish you a joyous holiday and warmth filled New Year.”

On the back is a message: “If my card touched your heart, please pass the love.”

It hangs with others on what’s called a “Love Tree” outside the cafeteria at UPMC Magee Womens-Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

Students in Selva Priya Sahadevan’s studio — Getitfromnature Arts art studio, in South Fayette — have been working on the cards to deliver to the hospital.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop | Tribune-Review One of the cards hangs on the “Love Tree” which was unveiled at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section on Dec. 6.  

Sahadevan, 36, is a self-taught artist. She said her “artistic dream” came to limelight after receiving the Emerging Artist Scholarship from the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival in 2019.

She also received that award as well as a Red Chair PGH scholarship in 2019. At the age of 9, her love of art was inspired by her mother. Sahadevan’s paintings are vibrant and full of colors. She said bright hues can change a person’s mood.

Throughout the year she involves her students in community projects such as this one. She said the pandemic has been challenging for everyone and hopes this art brings smiles to the faces of patients and health care workers.

Each card was made by hand with messages written to spread kindness. People who walk by may take a card and keep it or give it to someone else to “spread the love.” There are blank cards, which people can share their own messages and hang on the tree or take with them to give to someone else.

“We wanted to reach as many people as possible,” Sahadevan said on Monday at the hospital. “It’s about spreading kindness. If we can bring a smile to someone’s face then that is what we want to do. The pandemic has caused a lot of isolation and tough times for people.”

She said they chose Magee-Womens because of its dedication to caring for women and their babies.

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The children made the cards at Sahadevan’s studio. They range in age from 4 to 16 years old. Six of them came to the hospital for the unveiling of the trees.

Chris Vitsas, senior director of hospitality and operations at Magee-Womens , said a second tree will be placed in the staff meditation room. The original plan was to have the trees through the holidays but they may stay longer to create cheer throughout the year.

“This is so gratifying and will definitely make an impact,” Vitsas said. “It is an act of kindness and will touch so many people. It aligns with our mission at Magee. I was blown away by how impactful and how beautiful the cards are.”

He said compassion builds resilience, and that can really make a different in someone’s life, especially someone in a hospital. “What these young women did is a beautiful thing.”

The trees were created from branches from a fallen tree in Sahadevan’s back yard. She painted them and secured them in a vase.

“I made the cards to brighten someone’s day,” said Shaivy Shrivastava, 9, of Upper St. Clair. “I wanted to do something for the front-line workers and patients during this time. I was thinking that if patients or front-line workers are having a hard time they can read the messages.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop | Tribune-Review Shaivy Shrivastava opens a card she made for the “Love Tree” at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section on Dec. 6.  

She made three cards, including the one with the lamp post.

“This is the time of year to share joy and to share the light,” said Shrivastava. “Lights are a sign of hope and bring warmth to peoples’ hearts.”

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