Demand for casts strips Jen's supply

Jen Christiansen

A tragic accident a few weeks back left angel caster Jennifer Christiansen scrambling to source casting materials to come to the aid of a family who had lost more than a child, but this week she won $10,000 through Jennian Homes and $500 from ANZ, bringing a little relief just in time for Christmas.

"This casting was just so emotional, but so special to have in this instance. I've never been so nervous going into a casting. It was just so important to have it done, for his mum. But when the family called me for this, my first thought was damn, I don't have any product left, I'd just used it all up, and I thought 'how the hell am I going to do this?'.

"I had to contact one of my customers and ask if I could get the DIY life-casting kit back that I had just sent them, and I'll give them another one later. And I had given my helper, Virginia, two bags of materials in case I was ever away. Thank God she was sick and at home so I went and picked them up, and just scraped together every last piece from every corner I could find. That's what scares me about not having funding is if I had had to say 'no, I'm sorry, I don't have the materials' then this family wouldn't have their casts."

Jennifer (Jen) started her casting business Preggy Pukus just over five years ago casting pregnant women's bellies, baby and family casts, but adapted her business to incorporate casting deceased babies a year ago after she saw a real need in the community.

Jen entered the What's Important To You competition last week, run by Jennian Homes, and found herself competing against hundreds of other individuals and charities to win up to $10,000 from a prize pool of $50,000.

"The last three days of the competition I didn't leave my computer. I just posted on Facebook, and messaged people, mainly small businesses. I focused on mummy-run small New Zealand businesses that are similar to the position I'm in. They were all really supportive, and all their followers are also mums so they can understand and appreciate the need for this service to keep going. I'm just so thankful for all of them, for making a real effort."

Jennian Homes business development manager Dave Wilson said he was "very excited by the level and diversity of entries in the competition. We wanted to do something very positive to celebrate out birthday month rather than just make it about building with us and it has certainly worked. We wanted to find out what was important to New Zealanders with no boundaries about what that might be. This supports the essence of Jennian and the fact that what is important to us is the diversity and individuality of all Kiwis.

"There were 344 entries and just under 34,000 votes cast so there is quite a bit of verifying to do before we announce the grand prize winner and runners up."

Communications manager for Corporate Affairs ANZ Jess Malcolm said this is the fourth year they have run the initiative of donating money to selected charities on behalf of clients, instead of giving them Christmas gifs.

"The donation came from Business Banking Waikato ANZ, who also donated to Hospice, Salvation Army Food Bank, and the Women's Refuge. ANZ donate around $80,000 to different charities and Not for Profit organisations across New Zealand each year."

Jen said she will be putting the $10,000 straight back into Angel Casts, to top up on supplies and she plans to start training others around the country to do angel casting so that it's more available to families who need it.

"The long-term plan is to expand. I have people putting up their hands all over the country that want to do it too, and they're just mums like me. It's particularly mums that have lost a baby and they understand what it's like. They may not have a casting, but they want other people to have one because they can empathise and relate to those mums and they want to do something to be a part of it," she said.

"There are also a few palliative care nurses down in Christchurch that want me to go down and train them because there is no one in the South Island that's doing it for free. I have been sending them the moulding materials and I have talked them through taking the moulds, and then they send it back and I cast them and frame it and then courier it back but it's a huge expense that's been coming out of our income. So hopefully that will be able to come out of this $10,000."

To find out more visit www.angelcasts.co.nz or to donate to Angel Casts go to www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/angelcasts.