A new permanent piece of artwork has been unveiled at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary Wigan (RAEI) ‘in remembrance and recognition of the extraordinary gift made by organ donors and their families’
Commissioned using NHS Blood and Transplant funds, 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. A special event held for invited donor families, where a plaque next to the artwork was unveiled, saw Julie Aubrey-Williams attend on behalf of her brother, Mark, who donated his heart, kidneys, and corneas in 2018. Julie, who works for Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts as a Cardiology secretary said: “We talk about Mark a lot; he was a young, fit man with 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.”
During the event at RAEI, each family was invited to place flowers and a candle on the bench while the names of donors from the past decade 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 says she also hopes 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: “As specialists in creating organ donation artworks, we always love projects that allow us to 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 to 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.