Lisa

In 2011 I started bereavement casting. A friend of mine lost her baby and asked me to cast their baby’s hands and feet. At the time I didn’t know how I felt about it but after the first time I had this feeling that this was right and this was something I was meant to do. I thought it was really important that money wasn’t a barrier so I do this free of charge. Memories are more important than money and I like to know that babies aren’t being forgotten. Not that parents would forget their babies but memories blur. They might forget the shape of their little fingers and fingernails. Although it’s hard to be in a room with shocked and desperate parents, if it helps them in their grief it’s worth it.

I’d really like to be able to provide the service (bereavement) for all families that face loss across the country. I’d love to be able to train people up so we could spread the service all over because it’s not just happening here. It’s not just the casting people need to learn, it’s the emotional side as well, dealing with the families. You never know what kind of situation you’re going to walk into. It might be a family celebrating the life of their baby and you hear joy in what has been. It might be sudden tragedy and the reality of the situation hasn’t hit yet. You might walk into a father broken down wailing for his son – gone in his arms…these are the moments that really hit hard.If people have the time and money and would like to do this in their areas I would be happy to speak to them.