Trust Charity funds ‘Forget Me Not’ memory boxes
Our Trust Charity has funded ‘Forget Me Not’ memory boxes to provide comfort to bereaved families on the Intensive Care Unit (ITU) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
In the memory boxes are a wooden heart plaque that can be personalised with the patient’s fingerprints, an LED candle, a poem called ‘Forget Me Not’, a glass jar for a lock of hair, and a knitted heart. The patient’s relatives can include an ECG rhythm strip of the patient, their wristband and any of their personal belongings in the box.
Sabrina Sahota, Practice Development Nurse Intensive Care Unit said: “We are grateful to the Trust Charity for the support they provided in sponsoring this initiative. On the Intensive Care Unit, we take pride in providing high quality care for our relatives as well as our patients. The memory boxes are a way for the patient’s families to grieve. It is great to see how a small gesture can provide so much comfort and ease to our patient's journey through intensive care.”
Feedback from a family member who received a ‘Forget Me Not’ memory box on ITU: "I just wanted to say a huge thank you. My brother recently passed away on the Intensive Care Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Shortly before his death, we were asked by one of your colleagues if we would like to have this simple looking wooden box, which contained a battery-operated candle, a knitted heart. This box since his death has provided us with great comfort. So thank you again, and long may these little boxes keep providing support to bereaved families."
‘Forget Me Not’ memory boxes are just one of the initiatives our Trust Charity provides to help support patients, families and carers. For more information on how to get involved, please visit our Charity’s webpage or contact our charity team, Margarita Vidiella or Gemma Kelly at lg.charity@nhs.net.
Pictured L-R: Margarita, Gemma and Sabrina
