Guilford Arts Center Partners with Yale-New Haven Hospital to Create Mementos for Terminally Ill Patients

The Medical Intensive Care Unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital has partnered with the Guilford Arts Center to create small clay hearts for the families of terminally ill patients, the New Haven Register reports.

The clay hearts are put in memory boxes that are funded by a grant from the hospital auxiliary budget. Nurse Kathy McKiernan secured the funding for the boxes, the Register reports.

According to the Register, the boxes contain the clay hearts, a battery operated candle, a small plastic container for a lock of the patient’s hair and a laminated bookmark with a poem. So far the Guilford Arts Center has created 400 hearts and in the last year the hospital has made 360 boxes. Family members are also welcome to take the clay hearts from a bowl in the hospital.

Nurse Lynn Page told the paper, many times family members take the clay hearts and put them in their pockets to hold on to.

Read the full story at the New Haven Register.

Image via Guilford Arts Center

Have a news tip? Email brian.mccready@patch.com. You can also post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions. Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.