By Bryan Eneas

Masonic Memory Box Program expands to P.A.

Sep 21, 2017 | 5:00 PM

The loss of a young life is a tragic time for parents – especially when the life in question is that of a newborn or infant.

For the last 20 years, the Saskatchewan Masonic Lodge has worked to provide a comforting memento to families who lose a child. The Memory Box Program, which started in Saskatoon, has since expanded to North Battleford and most recently Prince Albert. The Masonic boxes are used strictly for babies lost at less than 20 weeks of pregnancy. 

According to Alison Bear, a clinical nurse educator, the Masonic Lodge’s Memory Boxes are important to both the families and nurses. 

“We struggle just as much as everybody else with the loss of a baby,” Bear said. “We pride ourselves in our jobs, and providing people with a good experience, so when things go south it’s nice for us to have something to give.”

Nurses contribute a crib card into the memory box, which details the newborn’s date and time of birth, length, weight and head circumference. Nurses will do hand and foot prints and a lock of hair if possible as well.

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“The box itself is designed to be able to take personal mementos and so on away, so [parents] have something when they leave the hospital,” Rick Galloway, a former Lodge Master, said. “The boxes themselves are made by the Masons… and it’s an activity we felt as a Masonic Lodge… really would be something worthwhile to do.”

Items including booties, hats, and candles are all included in the boxes.

Galloway said the Masons do not focus on the number of boxes produced, rather, the organization found the program filled a void.

“The impact is significant on families regardless of how many [boxes] they give out,” Galloway said.

In 2008, Darren McDonald took over the program. He said he was “absolutely gratified” to see the program expanding in Saskatchewan.

“My background is from franchising and business development,” McDonald said. “[The memory box program] strengthens that sense of purpose as a Mason, we commit to our families, we commit to our churches and synagogues and we commit to our communities.”

McDonald said he’s been approached by the Grand Lodge of Alberta who has expressed interest in expanding the memory box program into that province.

On Nov. 4, the Prince Albert Kinistino #1 Lodge is set to host a gala dinner in order to raise funds to support the memory box program. Tickets are available for purchase through The Victoria Hospital Foundation, Harold’s Family Foods and Absolute Security.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was changed on Sept. 22 at 9:36 a.m. to clarify the story. paNOW was informed that an Obstetrics Memory Box Fund was created by a private donor and those boxes are also distributed at the Victoria Hospital. 

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas