Forgotten Patient
"There is No Way to Ignore the Story"
The Utah State Hospital wants to raise funds to construct a monument and individualized plaques to recognize patients who have been forgotten and to celebrate their lives. These patients were housed at the Utah Territorial Insane Asylum; they are buried in a large grassy field at the Provo City Cemetery with no indication of who they are or even that they are buried there. We need to raise approximately $120,000 to memorialize these lost lives.
Who are these long forgotten patients? There are 474 individuals from all walks of life and all ages. Patients who died at the state hospital were given a pauper’s burial alone and without recognition.
Today we acknowledge the tragedies these unmarked graves represent with a hope to restore the dignity to those who died. Representative Edward Redd of the Utah Legislature recently presented a Resolution to the Utah State Legislature; “Concurrent Resolution Recognizing and Remembering the Forgotten Patients at the Utah State Hospital (HCR003).” This wonderful resolution validates our need as a community to come together and honor these individuals.
Many forgotten and lost in life should no longer be lost in death.