During the recent Organ Donation Awareness Week, the Saolta University Health Care Group officially launched ‘Thinking of You’ Memory Boxes for Organ Donors, an award-winning Hospice Friendly Hospitals initiative.
Thinking of You Memory Boxes is a new initiative within the Saolta Group dedicated to organ donors and their families. Memory boxes can be a significant part of the journey of donor families who have lost a loved one. The initiative aims to support patients in their final days of life, and their families into bereavement and beyond.
The tree of life is the symbol stamped on the box representing the continuation of life that a deceased individual has given to another. Each memory box contains a lavender bouquet, a small candle, a ‘thinking of you’ memory cloud which is placed in the donor’s hand during their final hours, a hanging emblem in memory of the donor with the inscription ‘when it rains, look for the rainbows’, and inkless handprints created at the bedside to provide comfort during a sensitive time.
The memory box also includes a small teddy, a keepsake box for hair locks, a purple jewellery pouch (previous winner of the Hospice Friendly Hospital originating at Portiuncula University Hospital ), and wildflower seeded heart poems that, once planted, will grow TO symbolise the continuation of life and the reminder of a donor’s gift.
“The provision of memory-making in the final hours of a donor’s life is the last gift that we as healthcare professionals can give to an organ donor family.
“The opportunity to develop the boxes arose in 2022 when the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Quality Improvement initiative was advertised. This annual award seeks to support projects to improve end-of-life care. I collaborated with other specialists within our hospitals, such as end of life co-ordinators, bereavement liaison officers, and critical care nurses in the intensive care units, and together we researched and sourced appropriate items.
“The end result is a high-quality memory box made with Irish-sourced keepsakes. We can now offer donor families the option of a memory box to help them preserve memories. Keepsakes can provide comfort in grief in the weeks and months ahead,” Gillian Shanahan, organ donation nurse manager, Saolta University Health Care Group, and project lead on the Thinking of You Memory Boxes for organ donors. said.
Paul Hooton, Saolta Group chief director of nursing and midwifery, congratulated all involved in the creation of the memory box to support families.
“Gillian Shanahan, our organ donation nurse manager, supports families throughout the organ donation pathway, and part of that support includes offering mementos. Congratulations to everyone involved in creating this beautiful memory box to support families through an emotional and difficult time,” Mr
