When my daughter, Madelyn Elizabeth, was born May 19th, 2010 and then died in my arms just a few hours later I KNEW that this angel was special {I’m a little biased, I know}. She touched so many lives during her very brief one…I just didn’t know the right outlet to carry on her life, love, and legacy.

I spent the next 5 years grieving her death, healing my heart, and working to bring my Madelyn the siblings she deserved. To this day, Madelyn remains an only child.

In 2015, during an uncommon moment of enlightenment, the concept of Sharing Solace hit me like a bolt of lightning. The only way to describe it is that Madelyn knew I was ready to begin to heal - and help others do the same - so she sent the idea to me herself.

This was during the same time in my life I began to understand I couldn’t spend the rest of my life mad at everything and everyone for having what I wanted. I had to lift myself out of the anger, sorrow, and depression. I couldn't continue living my life waiting to die.

I realized the gifts I received when Maddie was born - the gifts that once brought me so much comfort - were now bringing back he pain of losing her. I couldn’t keep seeing them every day and have a healthy mind {that realization in and of itself provided its own source of grief and guilt}. These gifts were not given to me to be put in a box in the back of a closet - but that’s where they sat.

I couldn’t give these gifts away because many were personalized. I also couldn’t just throw them away because of the sentimental attachment. That birthed the concept of the two-piece token system: A piece to keep your sentimental memories with you always and a piece to symbolically release that ‘heavy on your heart’ grief.

From that moment in 2015 through 2018 I worked diligently to share the mission and concept of Sharing Solace while creating the physical token and building this online community. I just knew there were other people out there that NEEDED Sharing Solace in their lives - like I did. There were others that needed help to 'Remember. You're not alone.'

Sharing Solace officially launched May 19, 2018 - Madelyn Elizabeth’s would-be 8th birthday. I hope we’ve made Miss Maddie proud!

The full story of Madelyn, Sharing Solace's beginnings, and all about the Locket + Token Sets can be found in 'Confessions of a Griever'. If you'd like to know more about our (co)founder, Crystal Webster, her profile can be found here.

We are proud to be from Kansas City - the heart of the country. We are proud to be: