IN MEMORY OF MASON
ARTS and craft has been an outlet for Townsville grandparents John and Sue Sandeman in the aftermath of the death of their baby grandson.
The couple, who ran a craft shop before the murder of 17- month- old Mason Parker, have opened a new shop in the city seven years since his death.
The grandparents fought tirelessly to change Queensland’s mandatory child abuse reporting laws after the toddler was murdered by his mother’s partner in 2011.
“Basically what we’re doing is starting to live, but we’ll always remember Mason,” Mr Sandeman said.
Handmade items had been sitting in their home since their grandson passed away and the subsequent closure of their original craft shop in Boundary Street.
“Basically the day after Mason died, it slowed down. It got too much for us,” Mrs Sandeman said.
“Mason used to be in the shop and then we lost him and we lost interest.”
The couple found that arts and crafts was a calming distraction when things were tough.
“It took our minds off everything, it has done for the last seven years – it’s just an outlet for us,” Mr Sandeman said.
Their new store, All Things Handmade, on Flinders St, marks the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
“Recently I’ve got the energy, we’ve got to where we wanted to get now,” Mrs Sandeman said. “I look forward to getting up for the first time.”
Mr Sandeman said his wife had struggled following the death of their grandson and the fight for Mason’s Law.
“It knocked Sue around a lot. This is the first time in seven years that she’s got a smile on her face,”
Mason’s Law came into effect in July 2017 and makes it mandatory for childcare centres in Queensland to report suspected cases of sexual or physical abuse of children.
The grandparents will use a portion of the profits from their business to continue fighting for children’s rights. “There are still a lot of things that we want the Government to do but to get them to listen we need some money to do that,” Mr Sandeman said.
“( The Government) should be pouring money into looking after our kids rather than building bridges.”
Mrs Sandeman said people from all over Australia and the world had contacted her and her husband for help and advice during and after the successful campaign.
She said she was confident they could do more with funds from All Things Handmade.
“Because of what we’ve achieved I think we’ve got a little bit more respect, a bit of a voice,” Mrs Sandeman said. All Things Handmade will offer felt making and crochet classes from the end of July.
“It’s just an open place where people can come and make what they like,” Mrs Sandeman said.
IT KNOCKED SUE AROUND A LOT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS THAT SHE’S GOT A SMILE ON HER FACE. JOHN SANDEMAN, GRANDFATHER OF MURDERED BABY MASON