Creative memories at Very Special Kids

Scrapbooking involves using your treasured photos and memorabilia to create beautiful pages which are then added to a special album.

Creative Memories is all about making a special memory album by using your precious photos to create album pages that show others the life of your beautiful child and help you to celebrate that life. Immersing yourself in designing, cutting, selecting and pasting, in the company of others who have also experienced the death of a child, can be a rewarding and comforting experience.

Very Special Kids spoke to Stella, a bereaved mother who started going to the Creative Memories program at Very Special Kids not long after the death of her beautiful baby boy, Rafael. As Stella said, “I was interested in scrapbooking but was firstly yearning to connect to others as I was only recently bereaved.”

Stella found the experience to be wonderfully helpful. “The first time was a healing, beautiful experience. I found everyone sensitive and lovely and there was a lot of joy.”

Immersing herself in the colourful paper, stamps and stickers under the gentle guidance and design know-how of Gerry, the facilitator, helped her to start creating a personal album in memory of her boy. Stella also found that seeing other families’ photos and sharing each other’s stories was a bonus on top of the connection she experienced.

After her first session Stella has found herself going back each time.  “I went back because I found it joyful. I didn’t realise how therapeutic it would be to be creative while grieving for my son, and showing people my scrapbooking always brings much happiness.”

If you are supported by Very Special Kids and would like to attend, Creative Memories is held at Very Special Kids Malvern from 10:00am – 2:00pm six times per year.  All sessions are free and a light lunch is provided. Child minding is available. For more information contact the duty worker at Malvern on 98046253.