Serenity garden and courtyard by doctor honoring late wife, provides comfort at Beaumont Dearborn

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - At Beaumont Dearborn you can now find two outdoors signs of hope and peace with a serene courtyard and garden space.

It is all thanks to Dr. Donald Conn, chief radiologist at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn.

"It was an inspiration for me to create that space," he said.

The inspiration for these spaces came as Conn’s wife, Dr. Sheryl Conn, who also was a physician at Beaumont Dearborn, battled non-smoker lung cancer.

At the time Donald desired an outdoor space so he could reflect and clear his mind as she received treatment at the hospital.

"Dearborn didn’t quite have that location that I was looking for, so it’s kind of an inspiration for me to create that space for patients, for patients’ families and for employees," he said.

Dr Conn and his wife had discussed the concept of the serenity spot but his wife lost her cancer battle in August of 2020.

So Dr Conn decided to find a way to deliver peace out of sorrow and met with an sculpture artist to create designs centered around the butterfly.

"They represent a metamorphosis, a kind of rebirth," he said. "Behind me is a tranquil space that I want people to be able to relax and decompress. The centerpiece sculpture with the butterfly and monarchs I think is inspirational."

Then the courtyard features a second tribute piece

"The courtyard, the visual space only, is a space I’m hoping people will have a transformative effect as they walk the long glass hallway," he said.

Having the tribute at Beaumont Dearborn has special meaning because this is where Dr. Conn was born and it’s also where he and his wife did their residencies. Both their kids were born there also.

"The hospital means a lot to me and my family we have a lot of history here," he said.

Dr Conn believes these tributes will allow his wife’s spirit to live on at the hospital.

"I’m hoping also by this artwork it gives other people inspiration through her spirit," he said.