Families across Teesside and North Yorkshire are being invited to take part in a special festive campaign to bring comfort to those affected by life-limiting illnesses this Christmas.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust’s specialist palliative care team has teamed up with Our Hospitals Charity to offer local families the opportunity to light up their trees with personalised memorial baubles.
Each bauble contains a feather along with a heartfelt personalised tribute dedicated to a loved one which will be placed on the Christmas trees at The James Cook University Hospital and the Friarage Hospital.
As well as paying tribute to their loved ones, people who hang a bauble are also helping other families going through similar experiences.
Lisa Meehan, fundraising manager for 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 go some way in offering comfort.
“We kindly request a minimum £2.50 donation with funds raised benefiting our patients across James Cook, Friarage and community health services.”
“All donations will support the work of our specialist palliative care team, whose kindness and care bring comfort during life’s hardest moments.”
Meet the specialist palliative care service
The specialist palliative care service consists of three teams who provide support to patients and their families who have a life limiting disease, whether this be cancer or non-cancer across Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Hambleton and Richmondshire.
Their aim is to enable patients to experience a good death in their preferred place of care whether this be at home, in a care setting, the hospital or in a hospice setting.
Tracy O’Neill, lead nurse for the specialist palliative care service said: “It’s that special time of year we all cherish.
“To honour our loved ones who are no longer with us, you can remember them by decorating our Christmas trees with memorial baubles to represent the love and memories of those who hold a special place in our hearts.
The funds raised will help us to continue the ongoing Dragonfly Scheme where we provide comfort bags to patients, families and carers during their final days of life.
“The Dragonfly bags include toiletries, mouth care essentials, knitted hearts, inkless fingerprint kits and essential informative resources.
“It will also allow us to provide memory boxes with precious keepsakes for children including books, knitted hearts, worry dolls, pocket hugs and bereavement tokens.”
The South Tees Hospitals Christmas bauble campaign is held annually throughout December to help carers, families and friends to treasure memories of their loved ones.
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.”
Make a donation
If you would like to pay tribute to a loved one you can do this via the Our Hospitals Charity JustGiving page.
The team requests a minimum donation of £2.50 per bauble and is accepting contributions until Christmas Eve.