Streatham girls celebrate their late mum with a tree of memories

The husband and two daughters of a mum who died of cancer eight months ago had hoped to mark her next birthday with a party to celebrate her life.

But lockdown scuppered that. 

So instead the trio have created a Tree of Life to remember her – decorated with leaves listing the happy reminiscences of her friends and family.

Lou Simonsen, from Streatham Common, who led a team helping the homeless in Westminster, died 10 months after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. 

Husband Shaffique said: “The girls had planned to have a memorial gathering to celebrate her birthday. Sadly due to the lock down, we couldn’t do this and I began to dread how I would mark this milestone for my girls who are still grieving the loss of their mother. 

“So instead of birthday cards we asked friends and family from now and her past to send us a homemade leaf with a personal memory written on it, and on her birthday we read the memories and built a beautiful collage ‘memory tree’ together. 

“The response to the film we made and the making of the tree has been overwhelming.

“Building the tree was profound and eye opening and helped the girls learn so much about their young mother’s life through the many memories shared as well as provided a breakthrough moment in helping them move forward in their grief. The process has really helped us all as well as our extended family.

“The film has had extraordinary feedback – tears and joy – which I posted on Facebook as a thank you to those who sent leaves. Royal Trinity Hospice feel it is a powerful way of helping practitioners and families deal with a child’s loss of a parent.

“We also wanted to raise awareness of the £3million shortfall Royal Trinity Hospice is likely to face as a result of coronavirus.”

The project was inspired by work daughter Alia, aged 9, did at her bereavement group at the hospice. She was asked to draw a place where she felt ‘happy and safe and close to her mother’ and drew the tree.

Shaff, 49, a community engagement officer at Lambeth Council, and the couple’s two daughters Alia and seven-year-old Hannah Sofia walked 5k and 10km for Brain Tumour Research in September. They and sister Shelina raised £6,715 – six times their original target.

Louise, a manager for homeless outreach service Street Buddies in Westminster, also collected clothes to ship out to refugee camps in her spare time. She died in August – even though she had only started having problems with her vision little more than a month before.

For more information about the Brain Tumour Research Walks of Hope and to take part go to: https://www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/walks-of-hope

Watch the family film here: https://youtu.be/5F7e_W7pLa4

Donations to Royal Trinity Hospice can be made here: https://www.royaltrinityhospice.london/Appeal/urgent-appeal-for-the-future-of-trinity