Dunloy family opens Infinity Room at Causeway Hospital in memory of son Noah McAleese

Pictured at the opening of the Infinity Room are Noah’s parents Corrina and Johnny McAleese, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Leona Laverty, Bereavement Co-Ordinator, Northern Trust.

A new bereavement support space, created in memory of a Dunloy toddler who tragically lost his life in a farming accident, has officially opened at Causeway Hospital.

The Infinity Room, named in honour of two-year-old Noah McAleese and his love of Toy Story, was opened this week by Noah’s parents, Corrina and Johnny, alongside Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

Located within the hospital’s Emergency Department, the specially designed room provides a quiet sanctuary for families to spend precious final moments with loved ones, offering dignity, privacy, and compassion at the most difficult of times.

Noah’s legacy of compassion

Little Noah McAleese

In November 2022, tragedy struck the McAleese family when their son Noah was lost in a farming accident. Amid unimaginable grief, Corrina and Johnny decided to use their experience to bring about lasting change for other families facing similar heartbreak.

Working closely with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the Patient & Client Council (PCC), they spent two years shaping the idea that became the Infinity Room — a space designed to offer families a “softer landing” during their darkest moments.

Speaking at the opening, Noah’s mum Corrina McAleese said:

“The Infinity Room has been a project over two years in the making. It has been both a rewarding and challenging journey, but we are very proud to be standing here today with the room finished and to have it opened by the Minister.”

She added:

“We appreciate when someone loses a loved one, there is very little that can truly ease that pain. But what we can do is create spaces that provide a softer landing in those immediate, devastating moments. And that is how the Infinity Room was created.”

Corrina said the new facility ensures Noah’s story lives on:

“Through the Infinity Room, Noah’s story lives on and as Noah’s mummy and daddy that means the world to us. It’s a positive legacy for a very loved little boy which will bring comfort to other families in the most difficult of times.”

She also revealed that the family’s work will continue through Noah’s Story, a registered charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to funding similar spaces across local hospitals and supporting trauma-informed bereavement care.

A space of dignity and support

Corrina and Johnny McAleese pictured at the opening of the Infinity Room in Causeway Hospital with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt commended the McAleese family for transforming personal loss into a project that will help countless others.

“I would like to extend my sympathies to Noah’s parents, Corrina and Johnny. For any parent to lose a child is unimaginably heart-breaking. I am deeply moved that they would use their own tragic experience to bring about improvements for other families in grief,” he said.

“The Infinity Room will provide a safe, trauma-informed space where families can spend time and be supported by having access to a private, dignified, and sensitive environment during their most difficult moments.”

He also thanked the Northern Trust and the Patient & Client Council for supporting the project’s development.

Creating change from tragedy

Mark McCrudden, Assistant Director of Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the Northern Trust, paid tribute to the McAleese family’s courage and determination:

“They have not only been the driving force behind the development of the Infinity Room, but they have also openly shared their experiences with us so that we can improve how we provide care and support to other families going through loss,” he said.

“No one ever wants to be in a position where they need to use a space like this, but it’s so important that it is there when needed. Emergency Departments are very busy and noisy but the new Infinity Room means that families can now have somewhere quiet to spend precious time together with their loved one.”

Meadhbha Monaghan, Chief Executive of the Patient & Client Council, described Noah’s story as “a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to the lived experiences of families.”

“Through their courage and compassion, Noah’s family have turned personal loss into lasting change that will help many others,” she said.

“The creation of the Infinity Room and the development of Noah’s Protocol demonstrate what can be achieved when families, advocates, and health professionals work together in partnership with compassion and purpose.”

For Corrina and Johnny, the Infinity Room is more than just a physical space — it’s a symbol of love, resilience, and hope. Their mission ensures that, even in the most difficult moments, other families will never feel alone.