Tree of Tranquility & Sunbeam Garden
Press Release Information.
The first Tree of Tranquility sculpture in England was placed in May 2018 within the grounds of Airedale General Hospital in West Yorkshire. The Tree was funded by Aidan's Elephants and it's placement within the hospital grounds was achieved after a six year collaborative project between Aidan's Elephants, Airedale Hospital's Sunbeam (Bereavement) Team and Scottish Charity, SiMBA who have already created and placed five Trees of Tranquility in Scotland. The hospital’s midwives and parents from the Sunbeam Support Group have worked tirelessly to raise funds for and create a beautiful baby remembrance garden to house the Tree of Tranquility. ‘The Sunbeam Garden’ provides a tranquil surrounding for this very special sculpture, a safe and meaningful place where parents can visit to remember and honour their children.
An open day for the Tree of Tranquility and the Sunbeam Garden is being hosted at Airedale General Hospital on Sunday the 14th October from 12 noon. All details in the poster/ graphic attached below.
An open day for the Tree of Tranquility and the Sunbeam Garden is being hosted at Airedale General Hospital on Sunday the 14th October from 12 noon. All details in the poster/ graphic attached below.
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The funding for the Tree of Tranquility was provided by Non Profit Organisation, Aidan’s Elephants. The Tree cost a total of £11,640, which was contributed to by every family who has donated to or fund-raised for Aidan’s Elephants over the last six and a half years. Many families who receive an Aidan's Elephants Memory Box at Airedale Hospital when their baby has died choose to donate to the Organisation in their baby's honour. Helen Chhokar from Aidan's Elephants says, "It is because of these generous families, inspired by their children, that Aidan's Elephants has been able to provide an everlasting memorial structure that other families with benefit from now and in many years to come."
The Tree was commissioned via the Scottish Charity, SiMBA, who have provided and funded seven beautiful Trees of Tranquility in Scotland (in Borders, Edinburgh & Lothians, Glasgow, Inverness, Orkney, Kirkwall and Oban), with a further two to be installed in Dumfries and Gourock.
The life sized sculpture is beautifully handcrafted from copper and bears individual copper leaves which can be engraved with personal messages, names and/or special dates. Each leaf represents a forever loved ad missed baby or child.
Parents can order copper leaves (at no cost) to have engraved and send back to SiMBA, who will periodically bond the leaves to the Tree. The leaves are individually photographed and sent to parents once their leaf has been bonded, meaning that parents do not need to live locally to be able to order a leaf and have the opportunity to have their child’s name on the Tree. Although parents are not present when their leaf is attached, they are welcome to visit the Tree of Tranquility whenever they wish.
Visit www.aidanselephants.co.uk/tree-of-tranquility to order a leaf.
About Aidan's Elephants.
Aidan’s Elephants is a Non Profit Organisation which was founded in 2012 by Helen and Gurjit Chhokar, in memory of their son Aidan Christopher Lawson Chhokar, who sadly died from a metabolic disorder when he was two days old. The organisation is committed to ensuring that families, who have lost a child of any gestation or age, receive outstanding levels of care and support. Locally, its primary role is donating handmade Memory Boxes, Recognition of Life Certificates and other memorial keepsakes to Airedale Hospital, in addition to offering funding for Midwife Bereavement Training, the ‘Sunbeam’ Bereavement Suite and specialist equipment. On a National level, Aidan’s Elephants offers online support to anyone who has been affected by the loss of a baby or young child, and aims to raise awareness of the need for better short and long term support following the loss of a child of any gestation or age. For further information please visit www.aidanselephants.co.uk
Quotes from Relevant Personnel.
- Helen Chhokar, Co-Founder and CEO of Aidan’s Elephants.
Contact: aidanselephants@gmail.com
~ Helen Chhokar, Aidan's Elephants.
- Sara Fitzsimmons, Executive Director of SiMBA
Contact: team@simbacharity.org.uk
- Beverley Beaumont, Bereavement Midwife at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
Contact: Beverley.Beaumont@anhst.nhs.uk
- Sarah Simpson, Head of Midwifery at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
Contact: Communications@anhst.nhs.uk
Images thumbnails and file downloads.
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