Donna Green, Susan Richards, Laura English, Chaplain Christine Whitehead RHCH

Sculpture celebrates the gift of life

A BEAUTIFUL sculpture has been unveiled at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, remembering and celebrating local organ donors.

The sculpture, named ‘An Hourglass of Butterflies’ has been installed to recognise the incredible gift of life given to others by patients at the end of their lives, with the support of their families. This permanent reminder of the life-changing difference organ and tissue donation can have serves not only as a place for families to remember and celebrate their loved ones, but for others to reflect on such an incredible act and consider joining the organ donation register.

Two identical sculptures have been installed by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at their hospitals in Basingstoke and Winchester ahead of Organ Donation Week (3-9 September).

An Hourglass of Butterflies’ was designed by Tony and Karen Van De Bospoort of the Hospital Art Studio and funded by the Hampshire Hospitals Charity. Tony and Karen have been working on the two 6ft sculptures for just over a year and have been working closely with the Trust.

The special event to unveil the artwork was attended by family members whose loved ones gave an incredible gift by becoming organ donors, as well as members of staff from the hospital who have supported families through organ donation and staff from the NHS Blood and Transplant team, including Susan Richards, regional manager for organ donation and transplant.

John Emery was there with his daughter Alison to remember his wife Molly, who sadly passed away at the age of 68 in November 2011. Molly had always been a vocal supporter of organ donation and had carried an organ donation card.

John said:

Even though it was a really difficult time for us all, making the decision was really easy because we knew it was what she wanted. It makes me really proud of her to know that she has helped other people.

Alison now carries an organ donor card herself and encourages other people to support organ donation and have the all-important conversation with their families.

Murray Weston was also welcomed at the unveiling as he remembered his daughter, Lara, who sadly passed away in 2014 aged 22.

His eldest daughter Polly and wife Emma had been the driving force in supporting organ donation and making the difficult but life-changing decision to donate Lara’s organs.

Murray said:

The whole team were fantastic when we were making the decision and supported us throughout. For us, it has given another dimension to Lara’s death and has meant that something positive has come out of such a devastating and traumatic experience.

We think about her often and the ways she has helped to change other people’s lives for the better. All of the cases we have heard about who received a donation from Lara have been successful which means a lot.

Murray added:

Making such an important decision means a lot of talking very quickly – it’s something you can’t be trained for but having conversations now with family members could go a long way in the future. I would encourage everyone to support organ donation, think positively about the difference it could make and trust the staff around you to give you the best advice.

In the last four years, 428 people across Hampshire have received a life-saving organ donation from deceased organ donors.

Across the UK, there are around 6,500 people in need of an organ transplant, including around 150 children and teenagers. On average three people die every day in need of an organ transplant because there just aren’t enough organ donors. If you donate your organs after you die you could save and improve the lives of up to nine people, and help even more if you donate tissue.

Laura English, a specialist nurse for organ donation at Hampshire Hospitals, said:

The decision to donate is life changing for so many people who are awaiting transplants.

It’s a privilege to work with courageous families who are making this decision at an incredibly difficult time. On one of their darkest days they think of others and support organ donation and this bravery must never be underestimated.

Families can often feel comforted by this and are proud of the gift of life that their loved one is giving – the opportunity for another person, even a complete stranger, to have a second chance at life. It is very humbling work and I hope families find some comfort when they look at the sculpture.

The sculpture was unveiled by Donna Green, chief nurse of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who also has a personal connection to organ donation, having seen the life-changing impact it had for a close member of the family.

Donna said:

I want to say a huge thank you to our clinical team here as well as the designers Tony and Karen for their hard work to create such a wonderful celebration of organ donation and a way to remember those who have given such a special gift. I’d also like to add my heartfelt thanks to the families who have supported organ donation in our hospitals. We see families come together in extraordinary circumstances to do something remarkable for others, and I have seen first-hand how life-changing this can be.

We hope that this will not only celebrate and remember previous organ donors, but encourage others to support this life-changing decision.

Last year over 400 patients died in the UK awaiting a transplant but through these sculptures, the Trust hopes to empower more families to have a conversation about organ and tissue donation, and ultimately save more lives.

To sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk and tell your family that you want them to support your decision.

Main Photo: Donna Green, Susan Richards, Laura English, Chaplain Christine Whitehead RHCH

Images:

1. Rachel Clare (specialist nurse) and Laura English RHCH
2. Sculpture, RHCH
3. Sculpture and sign RHCH
4. Tony Van De Bospoort, RHCH


 Hello I'm Linda

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More stories

Council tax support unchanged in face of pandemic

Residents will continue to receive the same level of council tax support after Test Valley borough councillors voted last week to maintain the existing scheme due to the impact of ...

Contact Us

MLG Gazettes Sales Team

Sales Team


Tel: 01264 316499

Email: enquiries@modernmagazines.co.uk

Stephen Corney

Operations Manager


Email: stephen@modernmagazines.co.uk

Debbie Corney

Director


Email: debbie@modernmagazines.co.uk