Posted: by Jo Monday, 21 March 2022 @ 10:31
We have temporarily put on hold our new collaboration with the Luca Foundation - so come back later in the year for an update.
The charity is run
by Sharon Luca-Chatha, who is also its Founder. Sharon set the charity up in memory
of her stillborn son, Luca. The charity aims to raise funds to buy ‘cuddle
cots’ for hospitals, which allow parents to spend more time with a stillborn
child.
Cuddle Cots
A cuddle cot is a
cooling mattress that stop a baby's body deteriorating, and can be placed in a cot
or even a pram. It allows parents to spend time with their babies and bond with
them, as it slows down the natural changes in the baby’s body after death.
Having the chance
to see and hold their baby, take photographs or hand and footprints, and spend
more time with them can make an enormous difference at a time of inconceivable
grief and overwhelming sadness.
Even in those
hospitals which already have Cuddle Cots, staff are sometimes not trained on
them, or the Cots are in need of maintenance – so Sharon’s charity has widened
its support to cover areas of training and maintenance also.
‘Woman Who’
I first met Sharon
at a ‘Woman Who’ event, organised by Sandra Garlick. ‘Woman Who’ is an
excellent business organisation which gives support, encouragement, training
and recognition to female business owners. We have always supported Sandra’s
‘Woman Who’ awards, gifting a Mantra Necklace with the word ‘Inspire’ to all
the winners.
When I sat next to
Sharon, she told me about her business – LK Eco Style – which is an eco-friendly
clothing business, creating T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies from sustainable
and organic cottons, which support local businesses and charities.
From there, she
went on to tell me her life story, including her first child being born
stillborn, and she herself suffering badly from fibromyalgia, which has left
her unable to walk unaided. I hugely admired her energy and drive, and her
ability to overcome really tough setbacks in her life.
Learning more about
her charity, I was determined that we would work together on a collaboration,
when the time was right. Now is that time.
Developing Ideas
We developed several ideas for the mantra itself, and the possible design of the necklace.
One idea was to use Luca’s name as the inspiration for the mantra, using its meaning, ‘Bringer of light’, as part of the wording.
We created the phrase, ‘You are my light in the sky, you are the writing on my heart’, and looked at some design ideas around stars and hearts, interwoven with each other.
In the end, however, a simpler message felt like the right one.
Sharon feels that Luca has never really left her: the experience of being Luca’s mum will stay with her always, from carrying him for 9 months, to giving birth – even though he was born sleeping – an ‘angel baby’.
The words, ‘You are always with me’, feel like a direct address from Sharon to Luca, as well as a powerful phrase for anyone who has lost someone special. We settled on this being the most appropriate and powerful mantra for our collaboration.
Angel Warrior
The phrase ‘Angel Warrior’ is one
used by Sharon, to describe someone who has lost a child. She has written a
book about her experiences, to help others in the same situation – and called
the book ‘Angel Warrior’:
“The title came to
me when I was grieving for Luca. The definition of a warrior is to keep
fighting on and find your inner strength.
My son up there in
the sky is the angel and I’m the warrior down here, having to live my life
without him. I’ve thought for a long time, why don’t bereaved parents have a
title, like a widow or an orphan etc? Why can’t angel warrior be the title for
bereaved parents?”
Design
Taking Sharon’s love for her angel
baby as the inspiration, together with the words, ‘You are always with me’, we
developed design ideas for the necklace. After working on several ideas, we all
agreed on a heart combined with an angel wing, to represent the strength of
love that lives on beyond death.
The heart is tilted slightly to one
side, with the left side being the outline of a heart; the right side, the
feathery wing of an angel, drawn in a complementary heart shape to mirror the
left.
The final piece is a beautiful design
conveying love and protection, and the love that lasts for all of eternity. It
would make a caring gift for someone who has lost a loved one, or a comforting
self-purchase after loss.
Charitable Donation
The Necklace is priced at £25, with 25% going straight to the Luca Foundation. It will be available to pre-order soon after Mother’s Day, with orders being despatched 4 weeks’ later.
