Marie Curie Patients Welcome Memory Box Project

A study to capture the memories in a nostalgic keepsake box of people who attend Marie Curie outpatient services has been welcomed by two Marie Curie patients.

Michael Hynds and Dominic Quinn agreed to take part in the project devised by Queens University Belfast student, Isaac Gibson, who approached the leading end-of-life charity late last year.

The men are supported by Marie Curie's Community Outpatients Service and were among 10 people who agreed to participate in this research study.

Isaac is studying for a PhD in Creative Arts for Palliative Care at the Sonic Arts Research Centre at QUB. His project, From My Perspective, involved recording sound interviews with the men and women involved, encouraging them to speak about their early lives, school days, hobbies, family and milestone events such as getting their first car.

He then created a beautifully presented wooden box complete with old-style transistor radio controls which plays the interviews categorised in chapters for people to choose which to listen to. It's made even more authentic with music clips and specialised sound effects to enhance the listening experience for loved ones. Isaac personally delivered the memory boxes to each person within a week of each recording being completed.

The sonic arts researcher, DJ and sound engineer developed the idea from recording interviews with his late grandfather, William Crockard, who died from cancer in 2018.
He realised the lasting impact for such recordings after he presented his grandfather's sound box to his mother after his death.

Isaac said: Her reaction was an indication of the enormous potential that personalised listening experiences could offer to people and their family members. That's when I had the idea for the project.

Aside from completing his PhD, Isaac believes that his memory sound box would be of interest to hospices around the world. He recently gave a Ted talk in Belfast where he spoke of the project's challenges, particularly having to interview the participants remotely due to Covid guidelines.

Marie Curie agreed to take part in Isaac's PhD study following a rigorous review by its research committee and worked closely with him and the patients over months to ensure the successful completion of the project.

Clare Magilton, Marie Curie's manager of Outpatient Services, said: This was a unique and amazing opportunity that Isaac presented to Marie Curie which gave some of our patients a chance to become involved in something truly innovative. Many of us have photos and memories but few of us have captured the sounds of such times where family members are transported back to those days. The memory boxes are something to be cherished. Having been involved first-hand in Isaac's study, I could only hope that more people could have that opportunity.

For 74 year-old Michael Hynds, the memory box has given him a precious opportunity to share his life and family history with his family.

He recalls how he bought his first Hillman Minx car for £90 – complete with the sound effect of the real vehicle – and how he once made a small fortune selling Beanie Baby toys to people in the US.

It also gave him a chance to talk about his two uncles who fought and died in the First World War, which meant a lot to his family.

When my daughters first listened to my stories, they laughed as they said it was typically me," said Michael. "They loved it. My sister and her children never knew as much about my father and their grandfather, and their two uncles until they listened to it, so it has a much wider family interest than my own children.
I was so impressed by Isaac and how he brought it all together. For me, I think it's something that will be listened to and enjoyed as you can leave a diary but who really would read it? This is something that will last and be listened to time and time again.

Michael has maintained a family tree for some time and believes it's important to pass on family history to one generation to the next. He is also very grateful for Marie Curie's Outpatient service, which involved a regular weekly meeting with other patients.

The former plasterer and tiler said: Going to those meetings literally changed my life. We never talk about death, everything but that and I made some close friends through it. It's meeting with other people who are going through the same thing as you that gives you the support as nobody else can really understand what you are dealing with unless they are also facing it.

Dominic Quinn, who has known Michael since they were young boys, talks about his time working as a baker in his own bakery in his memory box.

My family really appreciates the memory box as I give information about the background of the family and growing up in the country. It also gave me a chance to talk about my own mother and father and aspects of my life such as part-owning an Austin A40 car with my cousin and another friend for the price of £5 when I was a teenager. It was a job for us to get the price of it together, even though it was only £5...We did it up and painted it blue and it became forever known as the Bluebird after that.

Dominic is thankful to have the memory box for his family.

It was a great project to be involved in and I would only hope that everyone could leave a memory box like this behind...As a wood turner myself, I must admire Isaac's beautifully made wooden box. It's a wonderful thing for me and my family to have.