Medical Planning for Destination Festivals: Tackling Heat Illness and Water Hazards

Destination festivals often take place in beautiful but challenging environments – from sun-scorched beaches to remote desert landscapes. These settings enhance the experience but also introduce serious health risks that festival producers must plan for. Intense heat can lead to dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion, or even life-threatening heat stroke, while nearby bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers) pose drowning and rip current dangers. Attendees are often far from their usual healthcare providers, so the event’s on-site medical services become their primary safety net. This article draws on decades of festival production experience to offer practical, actionable advice on medical planning for heat and water hazards. We’ll cover how to staff and equip first aid clinics and roving medical teams, manage hydration and sun protection, implement water safety measures, coordinate with local authorities, and ensure travelers get the care they need – all illustrated with real-world examples of successes and lessons learned.

Understanding the Environmental Risks

A key first step in medical planning is to assess the festival’s environment. Destination festivals often occur in climates that can be extreme or unfamiliar to attendees. For example, a festival in the tropics or desert can have daytime temperatures soaring above 35°C and intense UV exposure, dramatically increasing the risk of heat-related illness (theconversation.com) (thedailytexan.com). Studies have shown that weather conditions (especially extreme heat or humidity) directly influence the number of medical cases at mass events (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) – when the mercury rises, so do incidents of dehydration and fainting. Likewise, if your festival site includes open water – such as a beach shoreline or a lakeside – you must account for hazards like strong currents, sudden drop-offs, or marine life. Many festival-goers will be on vacation mode and might underestimate these risks, especially after a few drinks.

Travel factor is another consideration. At destination festivals, a large portion of attendees may have traveled across country or internationally. They could be jet-lagged, not acclimatized to the local climate, or unsure of how to access medical care in a foreign region. They’ll be relying on the festival’s preparations to stay safe. All this means festival organizers must plan proactively: identify the specific heat and water risks of your location early, and integrate that into every aspect of your event’s medical and safety strategy.

Heat Illness: Prevention and Preparedness

In hot outdoor settings, heat illness is one of the most common medical issues festival medical teams face. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunburn can affect hundreds of attendees if not actively mitigated. The combination of all-day sun, physical activity (dancing, walking long distances on-site), and alcohol or drug use creates a perfect storm for dehydration. “Not drinking enough water may be the most likely reason someone will end up in a medical tent,” noted one emergency physician who studied EDM festivals (www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk). Festival producers must treat hydration and sun safety as top priorities, not afterthoughts.

Provide Free Water and Hydration Support: Ensure there are abundant free water refill stations throughout the venue (lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com). Map them out clearly and publicize their locations in the festival app, website, and on signage. Many major festivals have moved to this model – for instance, EDC Las Vegas provides multiple hydration stations (marked with water droplet symbols on the festival map) where attendees can fill bottles or hydration packs at no charge (lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com). Having staff at these stations to encourage drinking water or even handing out electrolyte powder can further prevent dehydration. At Austin City Limits (Texas) – an event known for hot weather – organizers saw that heat exhaustion was a main health concern and responded by “increasing the number of medical respondents and making water readily available” on site (thedailytexan.com). This kind of investment directly reduces heat-related incidents.

Shade and Cooling Zones: Incorporate shaded areas and cooling stations into your site design. If your venue is a field or beach with little natural shade, rent structures like tents, canopies, or shade sails where people can take a break from the sun. Mist tents or “cool-down corners” with fans, spray misters, and seating can help lower body temperatures for someone overheated. Even simple measures like providing umbrellas or encouraging parasol use (as seen in some Australian festivals) can make a difference. Remember that heat illness can escalate quickly – an attendee who doesn’t cool down in time could progress from heat exhaustion (dizziness, nausea, fatigue) to heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency (thedailytexan.com) (theconversation.com). By giving festival-goers accessible ways to escape the heat, you allow them to self-treat early symptoms before they require medical intervention.

Sun Protection and Sunburn Care: In multi-day events, sunburn is more than just a cosmetic issue – severe sunburn can cause skin pain, blisters, dehydration, and even fever in bad cases. Encourage and facilitate sun protection among your audience. This can include partnering with sponsors or health organizations to provide free sunscreen at stations (e.g. at info booths or first-aid tents) and posting reminders to reapply sunscreen regularly. Many seasoned festival organizers also train volunteers or roving staff to carry extra sunscreen packets to give out to attendees who are turning pink. Additionally, include sun safety tips in your pre-event communications (“bring a hat, sunglasses, and high-SPF sunscreen, and reapply every two hours” (theconversation.com)). For those who do get burned or overheated, equip your medical clinics with aloe vera gel, burn cream, and cool compresses. Something as simple as a bucket of ice water with towels at the medical post can provide quick relief for an overheated or sunburnt person.

Roving Medical Teams in Crowds: High heat at festivals often leads to collapses in dense crowd areas – for example, someone fainting in front of a stage due to heat exhaustion. To respond rapidly, deploy roving medical teams (medics on foot or bike) throughout the festival grounds. These roving medics should be trained to spot signs of heat distress (such as disorientation or people looking ill) and carry essential supplies like water, electrolyte solution, and radio communication to call for backup. Position some medics near stage front barricades during peak afternoon sets; big festivals routinely do this to pull out and treat fans who overheat in the crush. At major events like Insomniac’s festivals, organizers even have specialized teams like Ground Control in distinct uniforms who wander the crowd with water and keep an eye out for anyone in trouble (lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com). Their presence is highly effective – they can address issues before they become severe. Even at smaller festivals, having a couple of volunteers or staff designated as “water rovers” can remind attendees to hydrate and help identify early cases of heat illness.

Case Study – Desert Festival: Consider the approach of the Burning Man event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, one of the most extreme environments for a gathering. Daytime temperatures soar, and there is no running water on site except what the event brings. Burning Man’s medical team logs thousands of patient contacts each year, and statistics show that dehydration consistently accounts for around 8% of all patients treated on the playa (burningman.org). To combat this, organizers mandate that participants bring ample water (at least 4–5 liters per person per day), provide shade in central areas, and station multiple first-aid outposts around the city. Roving EMTs in ambulances and even mobile ice sales help people keep cool. The result is that most cases – even many dehydration cases – are handled on site with oral fluids or IV drips as needed, and very few patients (usually well under 1% of attendees) ever need hospitalization (burningman.org) (burningman.org). The takeaway for any festival producer is clear: plan for the worst and bring the supplies to handle it. It’s far better to give someone a bottle of water and a cool place to sit for 20 minutes than to let a preventable heat issue turn into a 911 call.

Water Safety: Mitigating Drowning and Aquatic Hazards

If your destination festival is near water – whether it’s an ocean beach, a riverside, or even has on-site swimming pools or ponds – water safety planning is absolutely crucial. Attendees may want to swim to cool off, or they might accidentally wander into dangerous waters. As the event organizer, you must anticipate these situations and take measures to prevent drownings or water-related injuries. Thankfully, with proper planning, water accidents at festivals have been rare, a testament to robust safety measures by organizers (www.rlss.org.uk). Here’s how to keep it that way:

Assess and Secure Water Areas: Start by assessing what water bodies are accessible around your venue. Are there beaches adjacent to the festival grounds where people will go during downtime? Is there a lake on the property? Once identified, decide whether those water areas should be open for swimming or off-limits. If off-limits due to safety concerns (strong currents, unknown depths, wildlife, etc.), communicate that clearly (“No Swimming” signs, barriers or fencing, and notices in the festival guide). Provide alternative ways for attendees to cool down (like showers or misting zones) so they’re less tempted to take a risky dip.

If you expect people will swim, even casually, hire professional lifeguards or water safety teams. Coordinate with local lifesaving organizations or hire certified lifeguards to patrol during the hours people are likely to swim. For example, in Australia, the Splendour in the Grass festival takes place near Byron Bay’s beaches. Local Surf Life Saving clubs work with organizers to ensure the main beach is patrolled by lifeguards from 9am–5pm for festival attendees looking to cool off (www.surflifesaving.com.au). They strongly encourage all festival-goers to swim only at the patrolled beach between the red and yellow flags, which mark the safe zone (www.surflifesaving.com.au) (www.surflifesaving.com.au). This kind of partnership can literally save lives. In one instance, during a festival weekend in Newquay (UK), an on-duty lifeguard intervened within seconds when a festivalgoer was caught in a sudden rip current – a rescue that almost certainly prevented a drowning (rnli.org) (rnli.org).

Plan for Rip Currents and Tides: If at the coast, treat rip current education as part of your safety comms. Rip currents are a leading hazard at beaches – fast-moving channels of water that can pull swimmers out to sea. Many attendees (especially international travelers) may not know how to spot or survive a rip. Work with local lifeguards to include warnings and instructions: for example, signs or screens can display “If caught in a rip current: stay calm, float, and swim parallel to shore to escape the current.” At the Splendour festival, surf lifesavers explicitly reminded the crowd “be aware of rip currents (know how to spot one and how to escape from one)” (www.surflifesaving.com.au). Also communicate tide times if relevant (you don’t want people exploring tidal rocks at low tide and getting stranded when water rises). If hazardous surf or weather is forecast, consider closing water access altogether and announce it – safety first.

No Mixing of Alcohol/Drugs and Swimming: A golden rule to advertise: do not swim while intoxicated. Many water incidents involve impaired judgment from alcohol or drugs. Local rescue services often issue blunt warnings to festival visitors, such as “Water, drugs and alcohol simply don’t mix” (www.surflifesaving.com.au). Include this message in your festival safety emails, on-site signage, and through MC announcements if needed. Security staff or volunteers at water access points should gently turn away anyone who is overly intoxicated. It’s also wise to restrict night-time swimming entirely, as darkness and impaired visibility exponentially increase drowning risk (and most lifeguard services only operate in daylight). If your festival has an on-site pool or designated swim area, close it after dark and enforce the closure.

Equip for Water Rescue: Even with lifeguards, be prepared for water emergencies. Station basic water rescue equipment at strategic points – life rings, throw ropes, and flotation devices that anyone can use to help a struggling swimmer while rescue professionals arrive. Brief your medical team on handling near-drowning cases (airway management, oxygen therapy, CPR). If the venue is very remote, you might even consider having a boat or jet ski on standby for rapid response, depending on the size of the waterfront. And as part of your emergency action plan, have a procedure for summoning outside water rescue services like the Coast Guard if a major incident occurs.

Success Story – Boardmasters Festival (UK): The UK’s Boardmasters Festival, which takes place on a coastal site, provides a strong example of water safety integration. Organizers coordinate with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to bolster beach lifeguard coverage during the festival weekend. In a recent year, RNLI lifeguards performed over 100 rescues during the festival, and multiple lives were saved directly thanks to having extra lifeguards and equipment on duty for the influx of festival swimmers (rnli.org). They also actively push safety messaging (choose lifeguarded beaches, stay between flags, “Float to Live” if in trouble). As a result, despite large crowds entering the ocean, the event has maintained an excellent safety record. The lesson: if your festival’s “destination” includes water recreation, invest in the proper personnel and public education to manage it.

On-Site Medical Infrastructure and Staffing

Having the right medical infrastructure on-site is a linchpin of festival safety. This includes staffing competent medical teams, setting up clinics or first-aid stations, and deploying roving units as discussed. The goal is to treat as many issues as possible on the festival grounds, both for attendee wellbeing and to avoid overloading local hospitals (medauth2.mdedge.com). Here’s how to do it:

Medical Tents and Clinics: Depending on your festival size, plan for one or multiple medical stations. At minimum, even a small boutique festival should have a first-aid tent or room where people can get help for injuries or illness. Larger festivals (a few thousand attendees and up) typically have a primary medical center plus satellite first-aid points in different areas. Place your main medical tent in an easily accessible location – clearly marked on maps, with visible signage on-site (use a red cross symbol or “Medical/First Aid” flags). It should be near the festival action but slightly removed from very loud stages so that communication is possible and patients can rest. Equip these clinics with supplies to handle common issues: plenty of drinking water and electrolyte fluids, basic medications (pain relievers, fever reducers, antihistamines, etc.), bandages and wound care items, splints for sprains, and so on. For heat-intensive events, stock extra IV drip sets and fluids; for remote outdoor events, consider stocking treatments for allergies (bee stings) or bites. In high-sun environments, having IV fluids on hand for severe dehydration cases is important – many festivals save lives each year by administering IV rehydration to attendees who might otherwise suffer heat stroke.

Qualified Medical Staff: The proficiency of your medical staff can make a huge difference. Ideally, staff your event with a mix of health professionals – EMTs or paramedics, nurses, and at larger events, doctors (particularly emergency physicians). Many countries have guidelines for event medical staffing. The UK’s event industry “Purple Guide,” for example, provides minimum recommendations based on crowd size (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). In practice, the majority of festival medical needs are minor and can be handled by trained first-aiders or paramedics without a doctor’s intervention (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). But you should assess your event’s risk profile: if you’re in a remote locale far from hospitals or expecting older attendees or have high-risk activities, having a doctor on-site is wise. At some large festivals, organizers essentially create a mini-hospital on-site – complete with emergency physicians and even the capability to do X-rays and lab tests in the bigger medical tents (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). While that level of resource isn’t feasible for every event, the principle stands: bring as much medical capability to the festival as reasonable. It will reduce the number of people you need to send off-site to clinics or ERs, which is better for attendees and avoids straining local healthcare (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

For example, after a major festival in Orlando saw local emergency rooms overwhelmed one year, the organizers and regional hospital worked together on a solution. The next year, they set up a robust on-site urgent care system staffed by hospital emergency physicians and paramedics, and were able to treat and release the majority of festival-related illnesses and injuries on-site, preserving hospital resources (medauth2.mdedge.com). This kind of collaboration is a model for destination festivals in remote areas: if the nearest hospital is small or far away, coordinate in advance to bring necessary medical expertise to the venue.

Roving Medics and Response Teams: As noted earlier, roving medical teams are vital for prompt response. Equip your medics with the means to move through the crowd quickly – this might be on foot (for dense crowds), bicycles, or small all-terrain vehicles/golf carts for larger sites. Many festivals use marked medical buggies or gators that can navigate service roads to reach an incident. Roving teams should carry radios (with a dedicated medical channel) to call for backup or ambulance transport if needed. Conduct drills or at least run through scenarios with the med team: e.g., “What if someone collapses in the far corner of the camping area? How do we get them out?” Perhaps you’ll designate a “fast response” medic crew with a cart that has a stretcher and emergency gear to extract patients from hard-to-reach spots. Also ensure communication with security and staff: everyone working the festival should know how to quickly alert medical personnel if they see someone in distress. Many events have a code (like calling in a “Code Blue” on the radio for a medical emergency) and train volunteers on basic first response (like keeping a patient calm, moving them to shade) while waiting for the medics.

Medical Logistics for Remote Locations: Destination festivals in far-flung places require extra logistical planning for medical support. Create a detailed medical operations plan that covers staffing schedules (to provide 24/7 coverage if it’s an overnight/camping festival), supply chains for medical supplies (bring more than you think you’ll need of consumables like IV fluids, because you can’t just run to the pharmacy easily), and emergency evacuation routes. If the site is very remote, consider arranging on-site ambulance presence or a helipad for air ambulance, in case a patient needs rapid transport to a hospital. Work with local emergency services – often, the nearest town’s ambulance or fire department can station a unit at your event or be on standby. Make sure your team has maps and GPS coordinates of the festival location handy to guide external responders. It’s also smart to inform the closest hospital or clinic about your event dates and expected attendance, even if you plan to handle most cases in-house. That way, if a serious injury or illness does need referral, the local healthcare providers are not caught off guard by a sudden influx. Building these relationships ahead of time fosters goodwill and preparedness; in some countries, it’s even a permit requirement to have local authorities looped in.

Speaking of permits, always comply with any local regulations for event medical coverage. Some jurisdictions require a certain number of ambulances or a field hospital for large events. Others might require an emergency action plan submission. Tick all these boxes during planning – it not only keeps you legal, but ensures you’ve systematically thought through medical contingencies.

Caring for Travelers Far from Home

Destination festival attendees often don’t have the luxury of calling their personal doctor or easily going to a pharmacy for a refill. They’re depending on the festival to bridge that gap. To serve this audience:

• Gather Attendee Medical Information (When Possible): During ticket registration, consider collecting emergency contact info and any critical medical details (like severe allergies or conditions), with attendees’ consent. Many modern ticketing platforms (such as Ticket Fairy) allow custom questions at checkout – for example, asking if the ticket-holder has any medical condition the festival should be aware of. While not everyone will fill this out, having even a few known flags can help your medical team prepare (for instance, knowing some attendees carry EpiPens for allergies, or have diabetes and may need a cool place to store insulin). Also, ensure your staff can quickly access each attendee’s emergency contact in case someone is incapacitated – this is invaluable for communicating with friends or family if a serious incident occurs.
• On-Site Pharmacy Needs: Think about common medications a traveler might need. It’s not practical to stock everything, but some festivals do set up a small on-site pharmacy booth or have a licensed pharmacist on the medical team. This can allow you to dispense basics like antibiotic ointments, inhalers, or insulin in emergencies. As one festival operations veteran put it, most minor issues will be handled by medics, but having a pharmacist means you can replace vital prescription meds that got lost or provide antibiotics for an infection, etc., which otherwise would send the person off-site (www.festivalpro.com) (www.festivalpro.com). If a full pharmacy isn’t feasible, at least have OTC medicines available (antacids for upset stomachs from unfamiliar food, anti-diarrheals for travelers’ tummy bugs, etc.). For anything you can’t provide on-site, prepare a cheat sheet of nearby pharmacies or hospitals with directions. Let attendees know that the med team can help coordinate if they need an emergency prescription refill or a doctor’s appointment during the festival.
• Multilingual and Cultural Awareness: International festivals attract a diverse crowd, so aim to have some multilingual capability in your medical and security staff. Even a few staff members or volunteers who can translate (say, Spanish or French to English, or vice versa) can be critical when assisting a traveler who’s not fluent in the local language. Have translation apps or phrase cards handy for medical terms. Culturally, be sensitive – for example, some attendees might prefer speaking to a female medic or male medic depending on the issue, so try to have a mixed-gender medical team. Little considerations like these make travelers feel safer and more willing to seek help when needed.
• Traveler Health Advice: In your pre-event communications (emails, website FAQs), include a section on health preparation for travelers. Encourage attendees to pack enough of their routine prescription meds to last through the festival, plus a few days extra. Remind them to bring health insurance info or travel insurance details. If the festival is at high altitude or in a region with specific health risks (e.g. required vaccinations, risk of mosquito-borne illness), advise on that ahead of time. Essentially, begin the health education before they even arrive on site.

Finally, extend the concept of care to mental health and well-being. Travelers may experience anxiety or disorientation being far from home, especially if something goes wrong. Train your teams in compassionate response – whether someone has a panic attack, a bad reaction to substances, or is simply overwhelmed. Having a quiet space at the medical tent or a “sanctuary” area where people can be calmly monitored (away from loud music) can be invaluable. Some festivals partner with harm reduction organizations to provide confidential support for drug or alcohol issues – consider this if it aligns with your event’s profile.

Learning from Successes and Failures

As a veteran festival producer, I’ve seen plans that worked excellently and others that needed improvement. One high-profile lesson came from Wonderfruit 2022 in Thailand, a destination festival that faced criticism for its underprepared medical services. Attendees reported that during an early-morning cold snap, several people suffered dehydration and hypothermia, but the on-site medical unit was just a “poorly equipped shipping container” where medics were slow to respond (www.vice.com) (www.vice.com). This situation highlights how even an experienced festival can fall short if the medical planning doesn’t anticipate environmental shifts (in this case, unusually cool nights after very hot days) and doesn’t invest in adequate facilities. The takeaway: be thorough and don’t skimp on medical resources. If your site could get cold at night, have blankets and warm fluids ready in addition to the daytime heat supplies. If you’re in a jungle or beach, ensure your first aid setup is robust (not just a tiny tent) and staffed with enough trained personnel to handle multiple simultaneous cases. The cost of properly equipping a medical tent is minor compared to the cost of losing attendee trust – or worse, lives.

On the positive side, countless festivals demonstrate that good planning pays off. We discussed how events like ACL expanded water availability and reduced heat illness, and how beach festivals employ lifeguards to great effect. Another success story is the approach many UK festivals take by working with organizations like Festival Medical Services (FMS) or St. John Ambulance to staff their events. Glastonbury Festival, for example, has a long-standing partnership with FMS (a charity of volunteer medics) and builds a whole medical center on-site each year, complete with triage, treatment areas, and even dental and maternity capabilities in some years! This means that even though Glastonbury is a temporary city of 200,000 people, it can handle everything from minor cuts to cardiac emergencies on the farm. Most patients are treated and released on-site, aligning with the principle of reducing off-site transfers (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). For a destination festival, this level of preparedness is gold: attendees feel taken care of, and local communities appreciate that the festival is self-sufficient and not draining the town’s emergency services. Strive for that self-reliance at whatever scale you can manage.

Budgeting and Prioritization: It’s worth noting that medical planning should be seen as an investment in the festival’s success, not just an expense. A well-handled medical situation can turn a potentially negative incident into a story of how great the festival staff were. Conversely, a lack of medical care will become the stuff of infamy on social media (and could lead to legal liabilities). Allocate a healthy budget for medical and safety line items. This includes paying for professional medics or doctors, renting ambulances or medical trailers if needed, buying lots of water and electrolytes, and all the supplies. Also, factor in insurance – many insurers will look favorably on robust medical emergency plans and possibly give better rates. If you’re using a ticketing platform like Ticket Fairy, take advantage of any safety features it offers (for instance, Ticket Fairy can help manage your attendee communications and includes options to collect emergency info, as mentioned). All these elements combined send a message that you, as a festival organizer, put attendee safety first.

Key Takeaways

• Thoroughly assess venue risks: Identify how heat, sun, and water at your destination could harm attendees. Plan around the local climate (heatwaves, cold nights) and geography (rivers, ocean, pools) from day one.
• Prevent heat illness proactively: Provide ample free water stations, shade, and cooling areas. Encourage hydration and sunscreen use constantly. Schedule extra medics or volunteers to roam crowds with water and watch for overheating. It’s easier to prevent dehydration than treat severe heat stroke.
• Staff competent medical teams: For any sizeable festival, invest in a qualified medical crew. Set up clearly marked first-aid stations with sufficient supplies and equipment. Hire paramedics, nurses, and even doctors as appropriate so you can handle most emergencies on-site. This keeps attendees out of local hospitals unless absolutely necessary (medauth2.mdedge.com).
• Use roving medics and fast response: Station roaming medics (on foot, bike, or cart) throughout the venue, especially in high-risk areas like dense crowds and under the hot sun. Ensure they have radios to call for backup. Quick response on the ground can mean the difference between a minor issue and a major incident.
• Implement strong water safety measures: If near water, hire lifeguards and establish safe swim zones (swim between the flags, patrolled hours) (www.surflifesaving.com.au) (www.surflifesaving.com.au). Clearly warn about rip currents, depth hazards, and absolutely discourage swimming under the influence. Have life-saving equipment handy and coordinate with local water rescue agencies for backup.
• Coordinate with local services: Work in partnership with local emergency services (ambulance, fire, coast guard) and inform nearby hospitals/clinics of your event. Collaboration and communication ensure a smoother response if outside help is needed and show authorities that you’re a responsible organizer.
• Support attendees far from home: Make it easy for travelers to get care. Collect emergency contacts, consider on-site pharmacy needs for lost meds, and have multilingual staff or translation tools ready. Educate attendees on staying healthy during travel and the festival. Essentially, act as a temporary healthcare provider since their usual doctors are not available.
• Learn and adapt: After each festival, review what medical incidents occurred and how they were handled. Gather feedback from your medical team and local partners to improve. Address any shortcomings (if there were many heat cases, maybe next year add more water points or shade; if a near-drowning happened, increase water patrols). Continual improvement is key to safety.
• Prioritize safety in budgeting and planning: Don’t cut corners on medical planning. The reputation of your festival and the trust of attendees depend on it. A well-prepared medical team and safety plan might not be the flashiest part of festival production, but it is literally life-saving and enables all the fun to happen.

By taking these measures, festival producers can confidently host events in even the most remote or exotic locations, knowing they are ready to handle heat waves, big waves, and everything in between. A destination festival should be about making lifelong memories – and with diligent medical planning, those memories will be happy and safe for everyone involved.