“Missing you as always, even more so at Christmas, you used to fill our homes with much laughter and love” (Mercy Hospice Supporter)

On the first night of December at sunset, Mercy Hospice will illuminate a cascade of lights decorating the gardens that overlook Auckland’s skyline at the hospice grounds, 61 College Hill, to commemorate the lives of loved ones.

Lights to Remember will see the hospice open the gates of its grounds in St Mary’s Bay to the public, inviting Aucklanders to celebrate and remember loved ones.

“Lights to Remember is a profoundly beautiful campaign that enables thousands of Aucklanders to dedicate a light in the grounds of Mercy Hospice to their loved ones,” says Mercy Hospice Medical Director Dr Pam Jennings.

“These dedications help comfort grieving whānau and ensure everyday Aucklanders can continue to access the highest quality palliative care.

“Because of Covid-19 last year, our first Lights to Remember campaign was almost entirely digital. This year we are looking forward to welcoming the community to share and remember together.”

After the switch-on event on 1 December, visitors will be welcomed through the month on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to dedicate a light in the form of a short message to connect with their loved ones at a time usually dedicated to family, celebration and reflection.

Mercy Hospice currently cares for more than 350 patients at any one time in the community, helping with the physical, mental and emotional demands of caring for someone through terminal illness, providing a range of free specialist community palliative care and hospice services for people facing life-limiting illnesses, caring for them with clinical expertise and compassion.

Mercy Hospice hopes Lights to Remember can help bring people together this holiday season.

For those outside the Auckland region, Lights to Remember will still be available digitally at LightsToRemember.co.nz, so that wherever Kiwis are based they can take a quiet moment and connect with the people that matter most in their lives.

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