'It gave us time to just be together': Family's plea for Ipswich garden
A family's experience of saying goodbye to a loved one in a peaceful hospital garden has inspired a fundraising appeal to bring the same comfort to patients at Ipswich Hospital.
Why it matters: Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity says end-of-life care is about more than medicine, and is fundraising to create a Time Garden at Ipswich Hospital so patients and families can share meaningful time together away from clinical surroundings.
The details: A Time Garden already exists at Colchester Hospital – a private outdoor space, away from clinical environments, where patients and loved ones can spend precious time together.
The charity has launched its appeal to mark Dying Matters Week, with the aim of creating a similar space at Ipswich Hospital.
What they're saying: For Helen, the Time Garden at Colchester Hospital became deeply personal when a lifelong family friend, Mike, became a patient there.
"I always remember Mike in his garden – happy, at ease and pottering around with his plants and veg patch," she said.
"As a patient, when he got to spend time in the Time Garden with his beloved wife, children and grandchildren, he was so much more relaxed. It gave us the time and space to sit with him, share memories and just be together.
"The Time Garden gave Mike and his family a bit of normality and the comfort and compassion you simply can't get in a hospital room."
Helen added: "That experience showed me just how powerful the Time Garden can be and how much one is needed at Ipswich Hospital. For me, it's a reminder end-of-life care is about so much more than medicine – it's about honouring the person and giving them moments that really matter."
The bigger picture: Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity supports East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, providing what it describes as the "extras that go above and beyond what the NHS can provide."
What's next: The charity is encouraging the community to back the Time Garden Appeal to help make the Ipswich vision a reality.
The bottom line: Inspired by stories like Mike's, the charity hopes the new Ipswich garden will give more families a calm, comforting space to share their final moments together.
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