A mum from Loganholme who recently suffered a stillbirth is using her experience to help others get through the “devastating time”.
Tammy Campbell lost her baby boy, Roscoe, 20 weeks into her pregnancy in January this year, after a long and gruelling fertility struggle.
Ms Campbell, 33, said she was gifted a small craft pack in a zip lock bag to keep her company while she spent weeks in Mater Mothers’ Hospital.
She was given the package by a Mater occupational therapy assistant.
“This little craft pack meant so much to me and to my partner,” Ms Campbell said.
“It was only small and simple but when we found out our baby wasn’t going to make it, the days spent in a hospital bed were long and the nights even longer as we waited to say goodbye.”
Now Ms Campbell has donated over $2,500 worth of individually designed craft packs to the hospital in an effort to give other mum’s the same comfort she received.
“Some of the mums in hospital don’t have friends or family who are able to visit,” she said.
“I hope these craft packs have a positive impact on their mental health while they’re in hospital.”
Ms Campbell’s packages are uniquely and personally designed for each individual.
Some of the packs she has made so far have included painting packs for mums on bed rest, a pom-pom craft kit for a mum to play with her daughter, journals, embroidery kits and affirmation cards.
“No two packs are the same because no two mums are the same,” Ms Campbell said.
“The packs are from one mother who has walked in similar footsteps.
“I hope these packs ease the pain and pass the time for another mum.”
The craft packs are a part of Ms Campbell’s The Give Back Project.
She receives funding for the packages through donations, but also dips into her own pocket.
Ms Campbell used part of her holiday fund – gifted to her by friends and family after she lost Roscoe – to pay for the project.
Deidre Southam, the occupational therapy assistant who gave Ms Campbell the original craft package, said Ms Campbell’s donation had helped the Mater occupation therapy team.
“Long-stay mums are loving the packs and they love that a former patient has thought of them,” Ms Southam said.
“They work with their hands to produce and create, which is restful and calming for the nervous system and distracts from other unhelpful thought processes that can intrude into pregnancy.
“There is a sense of accomplishment and community around sharing craft skills.”
Ms Campbell said she has had a hard time since losing her son, but is hopeful the packages will “help other mums going through a tough time”.
