After the heartbreaking loss of our first baby, I found myself carrying a grief that felt impossible to navigate. Leaving the hospital without our daughter felt cruel in a way I struggle to put into words. While the world continued moving around me, ours had come to a standstill.

In those early days, I became terrified that time would take from me the little details I was so desperately trying to hold onto. I memorised her tiny nose, her delicate fingers, every curve and inch of her precious face. I studied every feature, repeating them over and over in my mind, convinced that if I looked away for too long, I might forget. Yet no matter how hard I tried, it never felt like enough.

I longed for something tangible to hold onto. Something that proved she was here. Something that would remain when memory alone no longer felt safe enough to carry the weight of my love and grief. It was through that experience that I quickly realised there was a significant gap in bereavement care for families like mine.

From that realisation, Maddy’s Memory Casting and Photography was born, a charitable organisation providing free memory-making services for grieving families throughout the South Island.

My hope was simple: to offer families the care, compassion, and support I had so desperately needed myself.

I had the privilege of supporting thousands of grieving families across the South Island, helping them preserve precious memories of the children they loved and lost.

During that time, I was honoured to receive multiple New Zealander of the Year nominations, a Kiwibank Local Hero Medal, a Christchurch City Civic Award, and recognition through several community and business awards. While deeply meaningful, the greatest privilege was always the trust families placed in me during their most difficult moments.

When COVID arrived and I found myself navigating a high-risk pregnancy, I made the heartbreaking decision to close Maddy's Memory and focus on my own growing family. Although closing the charity was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, I knew the story wasn't over.

After a period of reflection, planning, and growth, Clementine Creative Studio was born.

While Clementine has grown beyond bereavement care, its foundation remains the same: compassion, connection, and preserving what matters most.

Whether creating lifecastings, capturing photographs, or helping a business tell its story, my purpose remains unchanged — to create meaningful things that honour people, memories, and moments worth remembering.