On a glorious summer’s evening during March, a group of mums, dads, grandparents and children gathered on an Auckland beach to launch ‘Memories to Heaven’, an awareness initiative from Kenzie's Gift highlighting that children grieve when they have experienced the death of someone they love.
Please visit the Kenzie's Gift site to read more and see the Memories to Heaven video - http://www.kenziesgift.com/memories-to-heaven
Kenzie’s Gift founder Nic Russell lost her three year old to cancer 10 years ago. “Kids grieve and feel loss," said Nic. "It is generally acknowledged that children continue to grieve as they grow and develop. Kenzie’s Gift families were given the opportunity to come together and acknowledge the people they have loved. A tradition such as this may offer comfort, reassurance and opportunities to remember together, and we can create memories to treasure in our hearts forever."
Giving children a voice and an opportunity to share their memories with their families may help them with their grief. This was the inspiration behind 'Memories to Heaven'. As Nic says, “It is better to tell a child a sad truth, than a mistruth, and then wrap the support around them and develop coping mechanisms to learn to live with their loss. That’s where Kenzie’s Gift can help.”
28 April 2015
