There are various aspects of the program designed to provide families with events, resources and support both before and after the death of a child.
Resources for Honoring a Child
We provide materials to families to have a loving ritual of saying goodbye and of a way of honoring their child. These resources are a vital way for families to grieve the death of or pending death of their precious child.
The following materials are used by a variety of disciplines including chaplains, nurses, physicians, social workers and child life specialists, and may include:
- A Memory Box for holding the child’s mementos and a place for staff to place poems and resources for grief.
- A Memory Tile on which has the child’s hand print and/or footprint. Together families and staff help create wording to be put on the tile. They are then sent out to be designed, have wording painted on them, glazed and fired. The result are beautiful tiles that will help the families honor their child for many years into the future. These are then either given to the family directly upon their return to Rady Children’s or they can be mailed to the family. The HOPE program pays for the tiles and paint, as well as costs associate with mailing the tile to the families once completed.
- A Fingerprint Charm is made using a special mold that staff will create of the child’s fingerprint. The mold is then sent away, and a silver charm is returned for the family. The HOPE program pays for these charms, and families have the option of purchasing more charms directly from the company.
- A card to place a lock of hair.
- Hand and footprints on card stock. These are in addition to the tiles.
- Bereavement Information booklet, prepared and printed at the Hospital. This booklet is a collection of information and resources for the families after the death of their child. The booklet is available in English and Spanish. It is updated on a regular basis.
- Booklets for parents and siblings pertaining to the grief related to the loss of a child to assist in building greater understanding of the various experiences they may feel.
While the materials are simple, the rituals and remembrances that they bring are very, very important to our families. This cannot be emphasized enough. The materials also provide a way for staff to help families create memories during perhaps the most painful moments of their lives.