Tan Tock Seng Hospital's ICU nurses help patients & families get through final days with hand sculptures

Nurses at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have come up with a heartwarming hand sculpture initiative to help bring light to the lives of patients and their families during the final days.

Moulding a lasting memory

In a Facebook post, TTSH shared an account of a family sharing a moment through the hand sculpture activity.

One family member, Jumaat, was photographed fighting back tears as he held his wife's hands tightly while TTSH's Advanced Practice Nurse Fionna Yow helped them with creating the sculpture.

"Moments after their hands left the moulding texture, they continued holding on to each other's hands," the hospital shared.

Jumaat and his wife, Sumini, have been together for over 50 years.

Days after the activity, Sumini passed on.

"The sculpture will stand as a lasting symbol of togetherness, holding her memory and reminding us that her presence still lives among us, even now," Sumini's daughter said.

"This activity is not only for us, but for all to feel nearer to their loved ones as they approach life's final chapter," the daughter added.

Gesture of compassion

According to TTSH's Facebook post, the initiative started as a "gesture of compassion" in February 2025, but later became a care initiative.

Speaking with Mothership, Yow shared that the idea actually came from a husband whose wife was a patient at the ICU.

"He told us that what he struggled with most was the thought that he would never get to hold her hand again," Yow recounted.

Yow then wondered if there was a way to preserve their connection after picking up on the special way they communicated, which was through "holding hands and gentle squeezes".

"The image of their hands clasped together came into mind and that became the inspiration behind our first hand sculpture," the nurse shared.

So far, a total of 30 ICU patients and their families have received the hand sculptures.

'Personalised' intervention

Yow explained that there is no "strict criteria" on who receives a hand sculpture.

Rather than being a "standard intervention", the hand sculptures are a "personalised one".

The ICU nurses assess each situation "sensitively" and engage patients and families in conversation to understand whether such a keepsake would be meaningful for them.

"The focus is always on what matters most to the patient and family, rather than the sculpture itself," Yow said.

Hand sculptures are just one way to help patients and their families cope, and Yow said that the hospital's nurses are always looking for "simple and meaningful" ways to do so.

Healing is not only about medical treatment

Reflecting on the initiative, Yow shared that seeing families receive the sculpture is "incredibly meaningful".

"Many have informed us that the sculpture becomes more than just a keepsake. It captures a touch, a connection and a memory they can hold onto," she said.

The families' emotional reactions also serve as a reminder to the ICU nurses that even in a "high-pressure" and "stressful environment" like the ICU, "small acts of compassion can have a profound impact".

"Healing is not only about medical treatment, but also creating memories and preserving relationships," Yow commented.