Community members joined more than 50 family members of hospice patients who have passed away for the Baptist Hospice Summer Memorial and butterfly release at Baptist Reynolds Hospice House on June 4.
Baptist Reynolds Hospice House and Baptist Trinity Home Care and Hospice hosted the memorial, which included prayers, music by volunteer harpist Diane Lofink, a reading, sharing of loved ones’ names and a butterfly release, followed by fellowship and snacks. This year marked the third time butterflies were released at the annual event.
“Butterflies are a powerful symbol for those who are grieving,” said Tiffany McClung, bereavement coordinator with Baptist Reynolds Hospice House. “They represent transformation and new life and are a reminder that our loved ones are not gone, just transformed.”
This free event was open to anyone in the community who wanted to remember a loved one. Baptist Memorial sent invitations to the families of nearly 250 patients who had passed away in the prior six months, including those at Baptist Reynolds Hospice House, inpatient hospice wings at Baptist Memorial hospitals in the Memphis metro area and Baptist Trinity Home Care and Hospice.
“Our Baptist Hospice Summer Memorial is meaningful to our nurses and certified nursing assistants as well as the families who are honoring loved ones,” McClung said. “Our staff also grieves these losses as they bonded with patients during a sacred time of life. The memorial is a special time for them to reconnect with families.”
