Blue and green memorial ribbons are being worn around Red Deer to honour the doctor killed in a brutal attack at his clinic this week.
“A lot of hearts are bleeding for Dr. (Walter) Reynolds,” said Lorna Milkovich, executive director of the Primary Care Network. “This is a way of saying, ‘we’re thinking about you’, and we’re wearing it over our hearts because this is affecting our hearts.”
The lapel ribbons are a way of bringing people together in sharing the community’s grief, she added.
Shock and sorrow were expressed throughout central Alberta after Reynolds, a 45-year-old married father of two young daughters, was killed at the Village Mall Walk In Clinic on Monday. Police have called it a deliberately targeted, pre-meditated attack with a weapon by someone who knew the doctor.
Although the lapel ribbons are only a symbolic show of support, Milkovich said “sometimes small things can mean a lot and lot of people have been saying, ‘Hey, I want to wear a ribbon to show (my solidarity) too.’”
Red Deer physicians and medical staff have started wearing the ribbons for Reynolds. Police officers have also requested some to show their support for late doctor and the medical community, said Milkovich.
To fill all of the requests for pins, her staff have been buying up blue and green ribbon as these are the Primary Care Network’s colours.
More blue and green ribbon pins will be distributed to the community members who attend Friday’s 7 p.m. vigil in memory of Dr. Reynolds at city hall park.
Milkovich said the PCN is also looking at various other ways of distributing them to residents (walk-in pick-ups are being discouraged because of the pandemic).
Deng Mabiour, 54, appeared in provincial court on Wednesday, charged with first-degree murder, assault with a weapon and assaulting a police officer.
