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‘Garden of Light’ Installation Honors Nurses with 2,100 Illuminated Daffodils

By Kelly Richman-Abdou on March 13, 2017

Each March, London is flooded with bright, blooming daffodils. What makes this year's crop particularly special, however, is that thousands of them have actually been handcrafted for a good cause. Comprising Garden of Light, an illuminated, interactive art installation, the fabricated flowers are a collaboration between Marie Curie, a United Kingdom-based charity that offers much-needed support to the terminally ill, and Greyworld, an artists' collective.

Located in the capital city's popular Paternoster Square, Garden of Light features a makeshift plot of 2,100 illuminated flowers. Each handmade daffodil represents a Marie Curie nurse and poignantly symbolizes their dedication to “bringing light in the darkest hours.” As visitors wander through the installation's winding pathways, they hear recordings of nurses reading letters they've received from families of patients, and are eventually invited to write a heartfelt memory of a lost loved on the Garden of Light‘s memory wall.

The touching exhibit has been installed to celebrate the annual launch of the Great Daffodil Appeal, a fundraiser held by Marie Curie that invites individuals to make donations and support the cause by sporting daffodil pins. Through the installation, the charity hopes to bring attention to the appeal and to its nurses' undying selflessness. “I hope the Garden of Light encourages more people than ever to wear a daffodil this year and show their support,” Dr. Jane Collins, the CEO of Marie Curie expressed. “Together we can really make every daffodil count.”

You can learn how to make a donation or even volunteer your time through the Marie Curie website.