Collab TALK. Meet Violet's Gift

**** TRIGGER WARNING - Infant loss ****
This post contains personal details & images of infant loss and is about raising funds and spreading awareness. If you are in need of support, please reach out to your friends & family, or get in touch with the following organisations listed below. x

https://www.bearsofhope.org.au/

https://www.sands.org.au/

https://miscarriagesupport.org.au/

https://rednose.org.au/

https://www.heartfelt.org.au/

In December of 2019, Meagan & Chris Donaldson reached out to me about the possibility of joining forces to help raise much needed funds for a special little project of theirs, known as ‘Violet’s Gift’.

 

Meagan provided me with a link to her & her husband’s Go Fund Me Page so I could read more about their story and what their project was all about. I soon discovered that these beautiful parent’s had been through a lot of heartache and instead of getting lost in their own battle of grief, they pushed through to create this incredible fundraiser to help others who may be faced with a similar situation to their own.

 

As the hospital that they are raising funds for has a close place in my heart, I jumped at the opportunity to help support Meagan, Chris and their family through the power of collaboration, with Violet’s Gift.

 

I reached out to Ocean Grove based graphic designer, Basically By Tarni, who ever-so kindly created us 3 stunning exclusive designs for our Tilda & Moo X Violet’s Gift collaboration range. Read more about these incredible individuals below, or head to their social media pages to show your support.

I would also personally like to give a BIG LOVE & THANKS to the Donaldson family, for giving me this opportunity to do my bit to work with them the best way I know how (making bibs!) to help spread the word of this incredible campaign in memory of their darling girl, Violet. xx

 

Brand – Tilda & Moo @tildaandmoo

Fundraiser – Violet’s Gift @violets_gift

Designer – Basically By Tarni @basicallybytarni

 

 

Still but perfect. This is how our beautiful baby girl Violet Grace entered the world on the 19th of July 2019 – the day our family’s life changed forever. 

 

For my husband Chris and I, our journey into parenthood has been so much harder than we ever could have imagined but it’s also been a gift. Meeting Violet for the first time – 23 weeks into my pregnancy - was the best moment of our lives and we are beyond thankful she chose us to be her mum and dad. 

Our daughter brought so much love into our lives and we will love her and think of her everyday of our lives. Now, on Violet’s due date – 15th November – we want to make sure she is never forgotten. And, that our experience can also help other families.

While we will always be devastated by our loss, we feel incredibly lucky for the time we got to spend together as a family. Soon after leaving the hospital, we decided that we wanted to do all we could to keep Violet’s memory alive and make a difference for parents that find themselves in a situation similar to ours.

One month after the loss of Violet, we met with the staff at the Women’s Health unit at Frankston Hospital where she was born and discussed working together to create something special in Violet’s memory. 

This is where the idea for ‘Violet’s Gift’ began – a fund-raising campaign that will allow us to purchase and donate items to Frankston Hospital that will support grieving families. 

There are ways we can support grieving parents, even though we can’t take away their pain. We can help to create safe spaces, support networks and special memories that can help them to walk forward with their grief – even when they leave a hospital with empty arms.

 

OUR AIMS:

If we meet our target of $8,000 we will be able to-

Create a special room where grieving parents can recover from childbirth and spend precious time with their baby in a warm and non-sterile hospital environment. The monetary donations will go towards purchasing new furniture including a couch and bookshelf, books to be read to the precious babies and a wall mural.

If we meet our target of $10, 000 we will be able to-

Create the special room + a memory tree that will go in the sacred space at the hospital. This tree will have the names of the babies lost at Frankston Hospital placed on the leaves. It will be a place where families can go and remember the babies who have gone too soon.

If we meet our target of $15, 000 we will be able to-

Create the special room, the memory tree + purchase a portable Cuddle Cot for the hospital. This effective system allows for babies who have passed away to remain with their families in their home so that they are not required to be cooled in a mortuary environment. A Cuddle Cot also enables family members to travel to visit and meet the baby and siblings to meet one another.





If we surpass these targets -

Any additional money raised will be donated to Heartfelt - a volunteer organisation of professional photographers from all over Australia and New Zealand dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families that have experienced stillbirths, premature births or have children with serious and terminal illnesses. 

For each donation made, your name will go on a packet of Forget Me Not seeds that will be taken to the hospital and given to the families who lose their babies to plant when they return home.