My inspiration

There is nothing more painful than losing a loved one, but losing them and never being able to hear their voice or laughter again cuts even deeper.

I lost my grandad suddenly, without having the chance to say goodbye. It quickly dawned on me that I hadn’t had the opportunity to sit with him and ask all the questions I desperately wished I had. You may wonder why. Honestly, I thought I had plenty of time like we all do and I never envisioned losing him as quickly and unexpectedly as I did.

There are so many little things I wish I had asked. What was his childhood like? What were his favourite memories growing up? Who was his first love? What were his dreams and ambitions in life? What did he want for my future? I wish I had recorded his endless stories, which I had heard thousands of times, and how he would say “like, you know” with every other breath. He had a huge personality, and it honestly felt like the light went out of my life when he passed away.

Before my grandad's death, I recorded a podcast episode with him, and I'm so grateful that I did. It beautifully captures his personality and everything he was. I then edited and pieced together a special memoir for his celebration of life. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, but it wasn't from sadness; it was from people belly laughing at his jokes, his charm, and just being himself. It brought so much comfort and it was truly like he had never left. In that moment, I realised I wanted to create a service that would help other families preserve cherished memories of their loved ones, and that's how Life Stories by Ella was born.