When we lost Dorian, one of my biggest fears was that I would forget him (and to be honest, it’s still a fear I wrestle with). I was desperately looking for ways to preserve and honour his memory, and there was this profound need to try and keep him close even though he was no longer physically with us. I’m sure I’m not the only mother who has walked this path, so in this post, and in honour of Bereaved Mother’s Day this Sunday, I wanted to shout out some lovely Australian small businesses that have helped bring me some solace through their heartfelt keepsake and memory pieces.

T-Leaf Collections

T-Leaf Collections has always been my go-to for personalised memory pieces & gifts for our family & teachers, but they also have a beautiful “Still Life” range that is curated specifically for loss mamas. The lovely founder, Taleah, added this range after losing their daughter Lilette in a stillbirth, so you can be sure that their products are designed with empathy, understanding, and love. Besides several photo keepsakes for our home and the grandparents, we also purchased a personalised Keepsake Box to preserve and store all of Dorian’s special things.

Precious Touch Jewellery

Precious Touch Jewellery made me what is now one of my most precious belongings – a gorgeous heart locket with Dorian’s name and fingerprint inside. The beautiful Gail was so kind and understanding when dealing with me in the weeks after Dorian’s passing. She went out of the way – literally, having to look for international sources/suppliers – just to make sure I got exactly what I was after, and it was absolutely perfect; better than I ever expected it to be! It’s been a source of comfort and strength to have a representation of his hand (or finger!) on my heart. And a bonus is that my sons also love opening it up to see and touch Dorian’s fingerprint.

Impressionable Kids

When Dorian was 4 months old, we’d ordered a personalised frame of his photo and castings of both hands and feet, just like we did with his 2 older brothers. Unfortunately, due to some delays, our order wasn’t ready until after he had passed away. On hearing this, Aimee very kindly gifted us an extra cast of his hand that she set up beautifully on a plaque so that our family could still touch and hold his hand whenever we wanted. I can’t even tell you how much comfort this has brought to our family, with our sons asking to hold and kiss his hand when they’re missing their baby brother.

SETT+MAXE

I found SETT+MAXE on Instagram after I had my second son and always thought it was shame I missed out with both pregnancies. Then I fell pregnant with Dorian, and after we were told about his rare, complex cardiac conditions, a part of me was scared as we didn’t know what things would look like if we even made it to birth. So I messaged the gorgeous Libby to organise one of her unique memory keepsakes just in case my pregnancy was all I’d get with him, and she was so compassionate about my situation, making my session feel safe and peaceful. Even now, my sculpture touches my heart, reminding me of when he was safe and well inside my belly. My only regret is not returning after he was born to do a mum & newborn sculpture!

Secret Blooms

Sarah and I met about 3 years ago through a mums-in-business group, found out we were both Brisbane-based, met up and hit it off with one another, and have been supporting each other’s businesses ever since! So when I was given a vase after Dorian’s passing, I knew that it definitely needed some Secret Blooms because I wanted some everlasting flowers that were not only gorgeous, but high quality and realistic too! Sarah was kind enough to put in a special order of beautiful, real-look, real-touch sunflowers for us as they were the flowers we associated the most with Dorian – happy, full of joy and sunshine. Her sweet daughter even put her little touch in with a lovely gold ribbon around my vase – it really added to how special the flower arrangement was for us.

Losing a child is an unimaginable pain, and finding ways to honour and remember them can be a source of comfort and help the healing process. Each of the businesses mentioned above have given me some solace in my grieving through their unique and precious keepsakes. I hope that they might also help you find a keepsake that resonates with your heart and bring you the same comfort they brought me. If you have any personal experiences with these businesses or if there are others you’d recommend, please share in the comments and let’s spread the love!