In remembrance and recognition of the extraordinary gift made by organ donors and their families, a new permanent piece of artwork has been unveiled at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan (RAEI).
Commissioned using funds from NHS Blood and Transplant, the eye-catching archway, decorated with butterflies and forget-me-not flowers, was designed by Hospital Art Studio, alongside a core group of donor families. Their aim, to produce a permanent piece of reflection memorial art to be installed on the grounds of RAEI.
At a special event held for invited donor families where a plaque next to the artwork was unveiled, was Julie Aubrey-Williams, attending on behalf of her brother, Mark, who donated his heart, kidneys and corneas in 2018.
Julie, who also works for WWL as a Cardiology Secretary said: “We talk about Mark a lot, he was a young, fit man who had the funniest personality.
“When he was in hospital, the staff on the ward treated him with great respect, styling his hair and giving him different looks daily - even though he was on life support - which was just perfect to reflect his fun, cheeky nature.
“The decision to donate was easy for the family, as Mark was a completely selfless person, and although the process was emotionally tough, the Organ Donation and Transplant Team talked us through every step and helped us understand the process. They were absolutely amazing, and our family was treated with a great deal of care and respect throughout.”
Julie continued: “After losing a much-loved brother and son, his whole family takes comfort from the fact that Mark went on to save many lives, and we are grateful that his heart could have a chance to keep on beating and for many more life changing organs to be used.
During the event at RAEI, each family was invited to place flowers and a candle on the bench whilst the names of donors from the past ten years were read out.
Each family was later presented with the plaque to take home, bearing the same flower as on as the archway.
Vikki Lloyd, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation for NHS Blood & Transplant Services, based at RAEI, said: “Organ donation is such a special gift from donors and their families.
“We felt that they deserved this tribute to show just how much their truly selfless act in helping to save and enhance the lives of others really means.”
Vikki also hopes that the artwork will prompt discussion around organ donation and people joining the NHS Organ Donor Register, adding: “The artwork really is an eye-catching piece and we hope that it will be a conversation starter for the general public walking by, in turn encouraging conversation about their own organ donation decision with their families and friends. We need people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register to confirm their decision.”
Harry van de Bospoort from Hospital Art Studio who created the sculpture, explained the meaning of the symbols represented on the arch, adding: “As specialists in creating organ donation artworks, we always love projects that allow create something so vibrant and uplifting.
“We have employed forget-me-nots as their flowers traditionally carry a symbolic meaning of remembrance especially for those we have lost. Butterflies are a powerful symbol of metamorphosis, evoking a positive metaphor for the transformation donor recipient’s experience.
“The artwork draws attention to all the inspiring donors around Wigan and their supporting families. It was very humbling to meet some of the donor families at the official opening and see its importance to them as a fitting memorial to their loved ones.”
There are around 1,500 organ donors a year in the UK, enabling thousands of lives to be saved. Thousands more patients are waiting for an organ transplant in the UK and sadly every day across the UK someone dies in need of an organ transplant.
Organ donation saves lives. Please confirm your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. For more information, or to register your organ donation decision, please visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23. NHS app users can also use the service to record, check or update their organ donation decision.