Extraordinary gift for grieving granddaughter

Amy Law with the cushion made entirely of her late granddad’s old shirts

Amy Law, who was struggling to come to terms with the death of her beloved granddad, received an extraordinary gift to help her remember him.

Amy, 26, said she broke down in tears when she was presented with a handmade cushion made entirely of her granddad’s old shirts, with a message: “Now whenever you need a hug he will always be there.”

Grandad Geoff Law lost his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis in February this year, aged 76.

The heart-warming gift was made by Amy’s Auntie, Geoff’s daughter, Gill Decis, who took the shirts back to her home in Australia after visiting the UK for the funeral. She delivered a number of similar cushions around the family to help share a special memory of Geoff, but made a special effort to send Amy’s on the morning of her birthday.

So as Amy turned 26 on Wednesday (4 May), the special gift arrived at her home in Rochdale. She said: “It’s not often you get a gift that means so much to you like this one did. It is such an unusual and warming idea, it completely blew me away. I burst in the tears the second I saw it.

“I recognise all of the shirts and it is as much a memory as it is a comfort.

“I received the cushion on the morning of my birthday. It is certainly one I will never forget.

“I want to thank my Auntie for having this amazing idea and for turning a sad event into something we can cherish forever.”

Geoff Law spent his life in Bacup and Rossendale and dedicated his time to the community, including work with the Cancer Council, his local Rotary Club, and was an active member of Central Methodist Church, Bacup.