On the first anniversary of the passing of our beloved daughter Stevie we paid a visit to Astwood Cemetery in Worcester where she is laid to rest. Within a plot of the cemetery reserved for children Stevie is buried and memorialised by a wonderful stone prepared for us by Stonemasons of Worcester. The stone captures the essence of our daughter wonderfully and the artwork on display are things so important to Stevie and therefore to us, her parents. Anybody who have visited this area will also be able to see other superb examples of the craftmanship Stonemasons of Worcester are able to demonstrate. Very sadly, visitors will also be greeted with empty spaces where it is evident that somebody’s child is laid to rest. It was this latter observation that sparked the idea for our charity – Stevie Stones. As parents of a deceased child, the importance of the memorial stone cannot be understated, and we know how important it is to us. The costs involved can, however, be considerable and not everybody can find the money, especially at what is the most difficult time in a parent’s life. We decided to never let any parent go without a memorial stone in this cemetery ever again. In time; we would like to extend that regionally and nationally.
It was during the visit to see Stevie one year to the day since she left us that we met Gary and Katrina. They had very sadly lost their beautiful boy Carter and were tending to his burial plot. They approached us as we were maintaining the site around Stevie’s Stone and asked about the artwork and how they might be able to get a stone for Carter. In that moment they became the first service users of Stevie Stones charity. Along with our partners at Stonemasons of Worcester, we found a suitable stone and explored the desired lettering and artwork. After weeks of planning and consultation a decision was made, and this led to the installation of Carters Headstone in September 2022. The costs to the parents were minimal thanks to the work of the charity and the generous support provided by the team at Stonemasons of Worcester. Having seen their work done afresh, it is obvious that care and attention goes into everything they do. Carters mummy and daddy now have their stone and it will ensure that no matter what, there will always be something visible to acknowledge their little boys short time with them.
This little ray of hope in a dark time is what Stevie Stones hopes to provide to anybody that needs it. Our children are too precious to be lost to time.
