A Time to Remember is Boston Children’s Hospital’s annual memorial service — an in-person evening of remembrance held every spring to honor the children we have lost. Incorporating a variety of music and readings, the memorial service joins together families with Boston Children’s Hospital staff to celebrate the lives and memories of your children.

This year’s service will take place on Thursday, May 1, at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School (77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115). Seating begins at 6 p.m., and light refreshments will be served during the reception to follow.

To RSVP

• Families can register directly online at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/6c50dcacb14043f481cd0c22becd3c16.
• If you are unable to register through the Smartsheet link above, please email remember@childrens.harvard.edu with the following information:
  • The first and last name of the person you are remembering
  • The number of people in your group who will be attending
  • The names of any staff members you would like us to notify that you will be in attendance

** RSVP deadline extended to April 25 **

Please note

During the service, family members will be invited on stage during our flower ceremony to recite the name of your child (if you wish to do so).

Family members are invited to bring a physical photo of your child to be displayed on a memory board at the event, and to email photos of your child if you would like them to be part of a photo slideshow during the service. We can include up to four photographs per family. You are welcome to send individual photos of your child, your family, and/or any photos with Boston Children’s staff. Please submit no more than four photos in total.

Please be aware that any photos submitted for the photo slideshow require a signed consent form, which can be completed at https://bit.ly/4k53QVH. Photos can be emailed to remember@childrens.harvard.edu.

** All patient photos must be received by April 25 to be included in the slideshow **

Parking information

All families should park at the 333 Longwood Ave. parking garage. Courtesy parking vouchers for this garage only will be provided at event check-in. Please give yourselves ample time to park and walk to the event location.

Walking directions from 333 Longwood Ave. parking garage:

Please see the below map of the Longwood Medical Area. The event will take place at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School, located at 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, in Boston.

From the 333 Longwood garage, please walk along Longwood Avenue in the direction of Boston Children’s Hospital. Walk past Boston Children’s and turn left onto Avenue Louis Pasteur.

Information for children about the memorial service

Below is information written by our child life specialists, offering guidance around how to support and prepare children who may be attending our memorial service for the first time.

It is important to include children in memorials to help them process their thoughts and feelings, and to share in the grief process.

• Tell your child why you are attending the service
  • A memorial service is a time to remember people who have died. This memorial service is for your loved one and other children at Boston Children’s Hospital who have died.
  • If your child is old enough to choose, discuss whether or not they want to attend the service with you.
• Tell your child what to expect at the service
  • There will be many people there to remember their loved one who has died.
  • Some people will bring pictures of their loved ones. You can bring one too and hang it up on the memory boards.
  • There will also be people who work at the hospital who want to remember the children who they helped take care of. You might see people that you recognize, or you might see people you don’t.
  • People might have a lot of different feelings. Some people might feel sad about the person who has died, or they might feel happy to see each other and to remember their loved one. It’s okay to feel a lot of different ways, and to see people crying or smiling.
  • During the service, people will stand up to read poems and sing songs. Your job is to be with your family.

Helping your child cope

• Some children need to take a break to move their bodies, play, or step away from the heavy feelings of a memorial service.
• Your child may want to choose a photo of their loved one to hang on the memory boards or bring something special to remember them (e.g. their favorite stuffed animal or toy).

We look forward to joining together with you on Thursday, May 1, in remembrance of your loved one.

For any questions about the service, please email remember@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-355-3195.