hands are unbearably beautiful.
mary ruelfe
Our hands tell a story of who we are. They communicate in a way that is uniquely expressive, connecting through touch. Our hands carry with them the capacity to convey love, compassion, wisdom, strength...they hold the ability to comfort. Koa’s Hands was created to bring comfort to bereaved parents who have recently lost a minor child in any way.
our story
Our son, Koa, was 9 days shy of 2.5 years old when he fell through the ice of our lake and died on February 10, 2019. He was such a joyful, bright light in the world, so friendly and full of mischief and enthusiasm. He was wild, and independent, and adventurous, and totally confident in himself, and he fully embodied the meaning of his name, “Warrior.” Even at such a young age, he had already developed a larger than life personality, and it was so fun to see the way he interacted with the world around him.
Koa was so vibrant in life that he remains vibrant in death, and there are still moments when he feels to me as though he is still almost within my reach, like if I just stretch my hand far enough, I could almost grasp his. I am grateful to have a tangible way to remember the look and feel of his hand through the casts we created in the days after he died. They are the most precious and powerful memorial we have of our little boy, and a way that we can keep a piece of him forever within our reach.
what we do
Koa’s Hands serves newly bereaved parents of a minor child 18 years or younger who has died in any way by gifting them with a cast of their child’s hand that is created while their child is in the care of a funeral home.
help us provide
Your donation helps gift grieving parents of a minor child with a memorial cast of their child's hand by covering the costs of a casting artist's time and talents.
Your support, in any amount, is greatly appreciated.
Your $375 donation provides a 3 hands cast for a grieving family (the hand of the deceased child with 2 other people)
Your $125 donation provides a single hand cast for a grieving family (the hand of the deceased child)