Delivery Room 12 is the result of a Culture and Health initiative where staff, families, and the artist group have worked closely together to create a caring framework for the births of the few – yet occurring – deceased children and late-term abortions that are annually handled at Aalborg UH. This new framework enables a complete experience where design, sound, light, and ritual practices create a supportive environment for families and staff. The room has been developed under the theme of patient-centred culture and healing architecture, with a special focus on families experiencing grief and loss.

The project is part of an effort to bring even more culture into healthcare facilities, thus it is a groundbreaking example of patient-centric use of art and culture for health promotion in the hospital, providing space for difficult emotions in the grieving process.

The artwork “The Light” has been developed specifically for Room 12 and consists of a combination of various artistic practices, interior architecture, sound and media art, and dramaturgy. The room is designed as a healing and reassuring environment, using interactive digital art to create a calming backdrop for the first meeting and final farewell with the child.

In the ritual, the midwife takes on the role of a host for the farewell, and through meaningful actions, stages a beautiful and resilient shared memory to support them through the grieving process. A light is lit, a poem chosen by the family is recited, and two crocheted plush toys are shared between the parents and the child. The ritual is conducted following the principle of ‘shared participation,’ wherein artists and healthcare staff have tailored the ritual to fit the specific practices in the department.

Some of the early detected effects of the space (in fall 2022) are that it encourages open conversation and sharing of burdens and thoughts due to its homeliness and the distance from typical hospital environments. It physically and mentally relaxes the parents. The sound and media production of “The Light” creates a sensation of time standing still, and the sense of time is lost, which further envelops the atmosphere to better facilitate the grieving process. The parents feel safe leaving their child in the care of the staff, which makes it easier to leave the grounds.

The potential of this initiative lies in initiating the rehabilitation of the grief process in the exact moment to ensure that the experience and the memories created will be ones of beauty, dignity, and comfort, to avoid permanent mental scars.