December 1, 2006

Remembering the youngest patients

Families, friends and caregivers of patients at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) gathered in the O'Keeffe Auditorium Nov. 5 for the 15th annual Pediatric, Neonatal and Obstetric bereavement service. The memorial service is dedicated to families who have experienced the death of a child, including those who have lost a child through miscarriage or stillbirth.
MGHfC's Comfort and Support After Loss Team — comprised of social workers, nurses, clergy, child-life specialists and physicians — sponsored the service. Fredda Zuckerman, LICSW, an obstetric social worker, led the ceremony, and remarks were given by Ron Kleinman, MD, acting chief of Pediatrics; Howard Weinstein, MD, chief of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; and Judy Newell, RN, nurse manager of the pediatric inpatient floors. Family members shared their feelings of grief and bereavement through stories and poems, and during a naming ceremony they read aloud the names of their children. Families received tulip bulbs and pewter hearts in memory of their children. Above, MGHfC staff at the memorial service

Immediately following the service, a reception was held in the East Garden Room. Memorial quilts from previous years were on display across from the MGH General Store, and several memorial scrapbooks were available for viewing during the reception.