Bereaved Truro mum publishes book about grief in her daughter's memory
Little Maisie died of mitochondrial disease when she was just six months old
Last updated 15th Oct 2020
A bereveaed mum from Truro says losing your child is something you think will never happen to you.
Hannah Chapman lost her daughter Maisie to mitochondrial disease in 2018, when she was six months old.
Mitochondrial disease is a type of genetic metabolic disorder where energy isn't able to be processed properly. Although rarely heard about, it is estimated that one in every 4,000 people has mitochondrial disease.
Although born seemingly healthy and happy, Maisie was diagnosed when she was just four months. Her family were then given the devastating news that she may not live to see her first birthday.
They decided to make the most of their time together as a family, and worked through a bucket list including going to festivals, staying in local hotels and taking boat trips.
Sadly Maisie lost her battle just before she turned six months old, but ever since her family have tried to remain positive and turn their grief to raising funds for the Lily Foundation
Now mum Hannah has published an illustrated book about grief in Maisie's memory, as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Hannah hopes that 'Yellow Day' will help other families going through similar bereavements.
She tells Pirate FM she has been fundraising in her little girl's memory to help keep her legacy alive.
"After Maisie passed away, I promised to her to make the most of the life that I was lucky to be given. So much of what I now do, I do for Maisie because she never had the opportunity. One of those things was to publish this book. It is scary putting your work out there, as it is very personal and emotional, and you don't know how it will be received – but Maisie gives me the courage, each and every day."
Hannah Chapman, Maisie's mum
About the book, Yellow Day:
Hannah grew up wanting to write and illustrate books, completing an MA in Authorial Illustration at Falmouth University. But a lack of confidence, and time constraints, put her dreams on the back burner. After her daughter Maisie passed away, she vowed to do all those things she always put off, so less than two year's on, she is self-publishing the book 'Yellow Day'.
Yellow Day is a hard back book consisting of full colour illustrations, with a poem which sits alongside.
“The book is a journey through grief, each page consists of images of objects and places that remind you of a person when they've gone: an empty bed, an empty place at the dinner table, clothes that hang unworn in wardrobes. The illustrations are seasonal with spring daffodils and autumn leaves, indicating the passing of time and the world moving forward when you don't want to. But it is also a book about hope: showing how it is possible to still relish life, whilst keeping your memories of that missing person alive."
Hannah Chapman
The book has been launched during Baby Loss Awareness Week. Led by the charity Sands, the week aims to raise awareness about pregnancy and baby loss in the UK. It's a time to commemorate the lives of babies who died during pregnancy and in infancy, whilst also breaking the taboo of baby loss and improving bereavement care and support.
Book sales of Yellow Day will also raise vital funds for the Lily Foundation, a charity committed to supporting families affected by Mitochondrial disease.
Yellow Day is currently available to pre-order on the Amazing Maisie website.