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Final moments with loved ones in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) may be fleeting, but nurses at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have found a way to help patients and their families create long-lasting memories \u2014 hand sculptures.<\/p>\n
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 26), the hospital shared about Sumini, an ICU patient, and her family who participated in the activity.<\/p>\n
The hand sculpting exercise was started in 2025 as a “gesture of compassion”, and turned into a care initiative to help families to cherish the final moments with their loved ones.<\/p>\n
“The ICU can be scary and painful place to be, but with a little compassion, kindness and innovation, it is also a place of where one can hold on to the memories of their loved ones,” the hospital wrote.<\/p>\n
In a series of photos, TTSH showed the sculpting process, which began with Sumini’s husband, Jumaat, tightly gripping her hand while a nurse helped with the moulding mixture.<\/p>\n
“Moments after their hands left the moulding mixture, they continued holding on to each others’ hands,” the hospital wrote, adding that the couple had been together for over 50 years.<\/p>\n
ICU nurses handled the sculpture after creating the mould, and helped Sumini take a photo with her family members to commemorate the moment.<\/p>\n
The family photo ended up being their last one with Sumini, as she died two days later, wrote TTSH.<\/p>\n
“This activity is not only for us, but for all to feel nearer to their loved ones as they approach life’s final chapter,” said Sumini’s daughter.<\/p>\n
She also shared that the sculpture of her parents’ hands will stand as a “lasting symbol of togetherness, holding her memory and reminding us that her presence still lives among us, even now”.<\/p>\n