A Heart Bursting with Life
Organ Donation Artwork at Queens Medical Centre - part of Nottingham University Hospital
This artwork celebrates the generosity of organ donors and the lives they’ve helped to save. Designed as a three-dimensional piece, it extends from the wall to create a sense of movement and presence, symbolising how the impact of donation reaches beyond one life to touch many others.
The heart, universally recognised as a symbol of love and generosity, takes on an even deeper meaning here, representing the selfless act of organ donation and the enduring connection between donors and recipients. This central heart is covered in wildflowers, butterflies, and bees. These elements reflect the beauty of nature and the cycle of renewal, much like the gift of organ donation itself. The butterflies and bees, essential for pollination, move between the heart and the surrounding plaque. Their movement reflects both the delicate nature of life and its incredible ability to endure, carrying the promise of new beginnings.
Honouring Nottingham’s Organ Donation Community
As one of the UK’s leading centres for organ and tissue donation, Nottingham University Hospitals carries out around 60 transplants a year – an incredible achievement that continues to save and improve lives. None of this would be possible without the dedication of transplant surgeons, specialist nurses, and most importantly, the local donors and their families who have given the ultimate gift of life.
Funded by Nottingham University Hospital’s Organ Donation Committee, this artwork stands as a heartfelt tribute to donors and their families – a symbol of gratitude, remembrance, and hope.
Unveiling the Artwork
A special ribbon-cutting event was held to mark the unveiling, attended by Manoj, whose wife, Leela, became an organ donor at Nottingham University Hospitals in 2020.
The Nottingham Organ Donation Team shared:
"We are immensely passionate about organ donation and wanted to create a tribute dedicated to our donors and their amazing families. The flowering heart symbolises donation, with the flowers and bees showing the gift of life our donors have given to others. We hope that each and every one of our donor families knows how truly special they are and feel proud of this artwork as a tribute to their loved one's selfless donation."
A Poem for Organ Donors
The artwork’s plaque features a poem we wrote in honour of those who have given the gift of life:
"Let us all be wildflowers,
Our souls growing wild and free,
Our essence a gift of life,
Scattered to those who need,
In the places where hope is renewed,
Our hearts a flourishing garden,
Sharing light between us,
A life revitalised as new."
We are incredibly proud of this piece and the meaning it carries, celebrating the generosity of those who give others a second chance at life.
A Special Thank You
A huge thank you to Skye Irvine-Berry, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation, who was instrumental in making this project happen. Skye worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get the artwork approved, and without her, this tribute would not have been possible.
A Lasting Tribute
As part of this project, we also created Forget-Me-Not mementos to give to donor families. These small keepsakes are a heartfelt thank you, allowing families to take a piece of the artwork with them – a reminder of their loved one’s incredible gift and the lives they have helped to change.