People can now celebrate the life of a loved one with the new Tree of Life sculpture at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
Heike Schaefer, the hospital trust’s End Of Life Care Educator, had seen similar ones at other hospitals and wanted to create somewhere where people could think and remember. “I noticed that there wasn’t a place where relatives could retreat, celebrate the lives of their loved ones, and celebrate what their lives meant to them,” she said.
The ‘Tree of Life’ has been commissioned by the hospital’s Charity League of Friends, which is a registered charity and was sculpted by local artist Mark Reed.
He said: “This project has really been a labour of love, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. The creation took over a year-and-a-half to complete and the tree has seen every season.”
Mark’s wife Hannah added: “The hospital is also significant for the family as it is where my husband’s father died following his battle with cancer, and where our first child was born.”
The tree is stands at 4.6 meters tall and is designed to celebrate life in our community with its 2,000 stainless-steel leaves.
Penny Hipkin, Chair of the League of Friends, said: “We are proud to have gifted this sculpture to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We hope that it allows many people to celebrate the life of a loved one by donating a leaf and engraving it with their own personal message.”
Graham Ward, Acting Chair at QEH, said: “I am delighted to launch this very special tree. It sits in a very peaceful corner of the hospital. It truly is magnificent.”
Leaves can be purchased with your own special engraved message for £10 donation.
For an online form click here
