Pathways hospice installs children’s garden

FORT COLLINS — Pathways, a provider of hospice care, palliative care and grief and loss counseling  in Northern Colorado, has opened a Children’s Healing Garden. The completion of the garden was marked by a grand opening event Oct. 27 that included tours, face painting, art activities, storytelling and more.

The Children’s Healing Garden is located at Pathways’ Fort Collins location, 305 Carpenter Road, and includes several unique features, such as an oversized “bird’s nest” with an “eggs” seating area for one-on-one counseling, a memory garden, sand play area, steps for moving between tiers, a mandala area for art therapy and more. The garden will serve hundreds of grieving and ill children in the Northern Colorado community.

“Many people forget that children experience grief,” said Tammy Brannen-Smith, director of grief and loss for Pathways. “It is so important to support them through these difficult times and provide them with outlets to express their feelings. The garden will offer a safe, welcoming place where children can explore complex emotions in a natural environment.”

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Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), part of the UnitedHealthcare family, has pledged its commitment to uplift these communities through substantial investments in organizations addressing the distinct needs of our communities.

Plans for the Children’s Healing Garden were first announced at the end of 2016 with the launch of a $500,000 capital campaign to fund the project. The campaign was completed in early 2018, and the garden broke ground in spring 2018. The FronTerra Group, tradename for TFG Design LLC of Loveland, led the architectural design of the garden. Water-Wise Landscaping and Engineering Inc. handled the landscaping.