Special Butterfly Memorial at Moscowa and Jonkerbos

Together with the Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem, the Zevenaar hospital, the Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital and UMC St. Radboud in Nijmegen, Moscowa Cemetery & Crematorium (Arnhem) and Jonkerbos Crematorium (Nijmegen) are offering parents of unborn children up to 24 weeks old the opportunity to be present at the scattering of the ashes. Furthermore, both crematoria have now erected a special Butterfly Memorial for this purpose. Because the law does not require registration for unborn babies until 24 weeks (a foetus), these children are often cremated and their ashes scattered in anonymity. “For this reason, mourning parents often come to us from the hospital struggling to cope with the death of their child”, said Mrs C. Koeweiden, Head of Obstetrics at the Arnhemse Rijnstate Hospital. “The subsequent service provided by the crematoria offers a very valuable opportunity to the parents for closure, something we are very happy about.” “Our experience suggests that the mourning process is best served when the bereaved have a place for remembrance”, said Mr J.M.H.J. Keizer, chairman of the Executive Board of 'de Facultatieve Groep', to which Moscowa and Jonkerbos belong. “We considered it a worthy assignment to tackle the challenge indicated by the hospitals to remove the anonymity from the passing of these young lives. We now offer parents the opportunity to attend the scattering of the ashes at a specially designated part of the premises. A special Butterfly Memorial has also now been erected to this end.”