Life Blooms Eternally
Life Blooms Eternally is an event where we can come together to memorialize and celebrate the lives of Hands of Hope patients who have passed. This event features a garden of beautifully designed floral umbrellas inspired by the 9/11 umbrella display. We hold Life Blooms Eternally events across the southeast so that our entire Hands of Hope family can celebrate the memories of our loved ones and raise awareness for hospice care.
We encourage the families of Hands of Hope patients who have passed to send us photos and tributes to their loved ones that we feature at each event. If you would like to contribute, share your story below.
Our History
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, people searched for ways to make sense of the loss of innocent lives. For one New York artist, hand-painting umbrellas was a way of creating a visual representation of the staggering number of lives that were extinguished during the attack and rescue effort.
One of our team members visited New York several months after the attack and saw the artist hand-painting the umbrellas in Central Park. The display, representing real people who had their hopes and dreams cut tragically short by the heinous and cowardly act of violence, made a big impact on her. In September of 2010, nine years after the attack, she found herself working with Winthrop University interns. She used the idea of umbrellas to represent hospice patients as a way to raise awareness about hospice benefits available for families facing end-of-life decisions and gave birth to Life Blooms Eternally.
The very first Life Blooms Eternally celebration was held at Winthrop Lake in November of 2010 during National Hospice Month. The celebration spanned three days and displayed over 500 floral umbrellas spread across the gently sloping shoreline of the lake. The culmination of the event was a memorial service where each patient and life was recognized with a reading of their name and the toll of a bell.
