Christmas Eve boxes 'help keep the memories alive'

A charity is supporting children bereaved by suicide by providing special Christmas Eve memory boxes.

Mysterious Minds, which supports families in Hull and East Yorkshire affected by the suicide of a loved one, was founded by Chelsey Dalee, 37, in 2017, after losing her son Jayden's father to suicide.

Ms Dalee said she first had the idea as a way "to keep his dad's memory alive", as her son was only seven years old when his dad died and "years down the line memories could fade".

The boxes feature personalised items including teddies and blankets, jewellery containing parents' ashes, as well as items for children to enjoy, such as sweets and chocolate.

Charity trustee Dawn Stansfield, 57, who lost her daughter Mollie Rose to suicide in 2019, said at Christmas children can "not purposely get forgotten", as their parents and families struggle with their own grief.

Ms Dalee added: "I think, for a parent at that time, they're struggling themselves with their own grief. They don't think about, oh, 'we need to get this, we need to get that'. So this is where Mysterious Minds comes in and we provide this free of charge for all the children."

The charity will be handing out 31 boxes this year, but in previous years it has been as high as 60 boxes. Each box costs around £200 to produce and is funded by donations.

Ms Dalee said the reaction to the boxes, by children and their parents, was "very emotional, but they're very touched and grateful for what they've received."

She said her own son had been supported by the items she made for him as a child, stating "he used to sleep with them, it brought him comfort".

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As well as the Christmas boxes, the charity also provides emotional support, signposting to both bereavement and mental health support, and provides a cash donation towards funeral costs for those in Hull and East Yorkshire who have lost a loved one to suicide.

This year, they also organised their first ever Christmas church service to remember those lost to suicide at Hull Minster, which they will be holding again next year.

Discussing why they decided to hold the service, Ms Stansfield said: "Christmas is a really, really difficult time when anybody's lost somebody. But to lose somebody to suicide, it's something you never get your head around.

"There are many broken-hearted people in this world, I wanted to take some time out to sit and reflect and remember as a gift to them."

Canon Dominic Black, Vicar of Hull Minster, said it was "such an important need to come together and be with other people who've been through similar experiences".

The charity also wanted to send a message to both those who have lost someone to suicide, and those struggling with their own mental health during the festive season.

Ms Stansfield said: "Reach out to anybody. Us, even us, we are there 24/7, all over Christmas, New Year.

"Just know that somebody's there, somebody will listen, somebody will help."

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