Families in North Yorkshire are being invited to take part in a special Christmas campaign designed to bring comfort to those affected by life-limiting illnesses.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s specialist palliative care team has teamed up with Our Hospitals Charity to offer families the chance to dedicate personalised memorial baubles in memory of loved ones.
Each bauble contains a feather and a heartfelt personalised message and will be placed on Christmas trees at The James Cook University Hospital and The Friarage Hospital throughout the festive season.
As well as providing a meaningful way to remember someone special, the initiative helps support other families facing similar experiences.
Lisa Meehan, fundraising manager at Our Hospitals Charity, said:
“By dedicating a bauble, you help us fill the trees with stories, love and remembrance, creating a gentle glow for every life that touched ours.
“Christmas can be a very difficult time for those who have lost someone special, so we hope our memorial trees offer some comfort.”
A minimum donation of £2.50 per bauble is requested, with funds raised supporting patients across James Cook, the Friarage and community health services.
All proceeds will benefit the trust’s specialist palliative care service, which supports patients and families living with life-limiting illnesses across Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Hambleton and Richmondshire.
The service aims to help patients experience a good death in their preferred place of care, whether at home, in hospital, a care setting or hospice.
Tracy O’Neill, lead nurse for the specialist palliative care service, said:
“To honour our loved ones who are no longer with us, families can remember them by decorating our Christmas trees with memorial baubles that represent love and treasured memories.
“The funds raised will help us continue our Dragonfly Scheme, which provides comfort bags to patients, families and carers during the final days of life.”
The Dragonfly bags include toiletries, mouth-care essentials, knitted hearts, fingerprint kits and important information, while additional funding allows memory boxes to be created for children, containing books, worry dolls, pocket hugs and bereavement tokens.
The Christmas bauble campaign runs annually throughout December and donations are being accepted until Christmas Eve.
Lisa added: “Your contribution is more than a gift — it’s a legacy of compassion, helping others receive the same warmth and support when they need it most.”
Those wishing to dedicate a bauble can do at the hospitals’ JustGiving page, with a minimum donation of £2.50 per tribute.
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