ANNOUNCEMENT:
At the end of 2013 we will no longer be taking requests at Christian's Beach. Unfortunately now, because our project has gone viral we have around 90% of requests being made are actually people just wanting something for free, with many we believe are not actually for children that have died. We can no longer keep up with the requests and it is impossible to tell who is being truthful. If you would like to have a sunset photograph taken for your child and the requests are closed here you can order one up front at Carly's Art Website over at The Seashore of Remembrance.
We are so sorry to disappoint everyone. We never thought we would have to make this heartbreaking decision.
Welcome to Christian's Beach
On Australia Day (January 26th) 2007 our son Christian was stillborn. Our world fell apart. We could not believe that our perfect baby boy was not going to be able to come home from the hospital with us.Over the following 18 months we struggled to make sense of why this could have possibly happened to us.
On August 19th 2008 I dreamed of our son for the first time. He was playing on the beach with his friends that had also passed away. I walked up the beach to where he was but before I got to him, he ran away. I got to the point that they had been playing and it was then that I saw he had written his name in the sand.
This dream inspired me to visit the beach and write his name in the sand myself. I took my camera down to the shore at sunset and wrote his name. Since that day in the winter of 2008 I have written over 18,000 children's names in the sand.
It is a simple act that recognizes a life. It gives something beautiful to a family that may only have a few memories of their child - or even none at all.
Having Christian's sunset photograph displayed in our home has brought us much peace. We have it framed next to the photographs of our beautiful girls. It reminds anybody that comes into our home that we did have a son and that he is just as loved as our girls are.
We hope that if you do decide to donate for your child/rens photograph that you feel proud to display their sunset in your own home.
For all of Carly's work on healing after the loss of a baby or child (including her community projects, card line and artwork) please visit CarlyMarie Project Heal.
Above all we wish you peace and healing. Although you may feel so alone on this road, you are not.
With much love and many blessings,
Carly, Sam, Scarlett, Christian, River and Ocea.
