Following the premature death of Amy Stockill, 13, her mum Lisa turned to an activity loved by her and her daughter. Flossie Mainwaring-Taylor reports.

FROM the unchanged bedroom of her late teenage daughter, a bereaved mother is keeping her memory alive by creating hand-made crafts in her name.

Lisa Stockill, of Sedgefield, County Durham, takes comfort in using her spare time to make personalised gifts, keepsakes and memory boxes under the title of Amy Jayne Crafts.

Amy was in remission following a three-year battle with a brain tumour when she died suddenly at the age of 13 in February, 2016.

Mum Lisa was left with a void in her life and began making cards.

Friends encouraged her to continue and she set up her venture in July last year.

“I went from being full on for two years at hospital with Amy and looking after her all the time to nothing,” Lisa says.

The idea of setting up Amy Jayne Crafts came out of the mother and daughter’s shared love of creativity, and a conversation between them about what activities Amy could pursue after the brain tumour she had been diagnosed with at the age of ten later confined her to a wheelchair.

“I have always had a creative side and Amy was very arty and we used to enjoy doing crafts together,” says Lisa.

“When Amy asked me what she could do now she was in a wheelchair I said ‘you don’t know what’s round the corner’.

“She loved baking chocolate cake and I said we could start our own business from home and I told her not to worry about the future.

“So it is fantastic that Amy Jayne Crafts has taken off so well and it has just grown.”

Lisa is using her crafts business to raise money for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity and CLIC Sargent, which have provided support to the whole family.

Rainbow Trust family support worker Sabrina Lawton was on hand after Amy finished her hospital treatment and also helped Amy’s older brothers Shane and Christopher come to terms with her diagnosis.

And when Amy passed away, Sabrina provided bereavement support for the family.

Lisa wanted to give something back and believes her daughter would be proud she is helping other seriously ill children.

Her designs, which also include glassware, peg dolls, wedding and christening gifts have so far raised about £1,000 for the Rainbow Trust alone.

“Amy will be looking down and be proud of what I’m doing and that I’m helping other sick children as well,” Lisa says.

A memory box she designed for Amy in her favourite colour purple, with pink butterflies, has proved popular with customers, as has a photo frame depicting a personalised family tree.

“I’m really enjoying making crafts,” she says. “I want Amy Jayne Crafts to get bigger and bigger.

“It’s really important people raise money for charities such as Rainbow Trust.

“When you are faced with a situation where you have lost a child or your child is going through treatment all your focus is on wanting that cancer to go away.

“Even when they are in remission you and your family’s life is never the same again.

“The child often misses out on school and they can lose friends. It can also really affect the siblings.”

Lisa is still in touch with Sabrina and she cherishes the memories of their time with Amy.

“With Sabrina, she was more like a friend,” she adds. “Amy needed someone outside the family who wasn’t around all the time.

“She could be herself with Sabrina. Sabrina was lovely. The whole family got on with her and Amy used to really look forward to her coming.”

To find out more about Amy Jayne Crafts visit facebook.com/AmyJayneCrafts