IMadeYouANecklace

I made a necklace fit for a princess

A gold pasta necklace

Gold pasta necklace made by Gavin Hazelwood

And it matched perfectly with Meghan's outfit

I begged mum to let me stay home from school so that I could make Meghan a pasta necklace and give it to her. I dipped the pasta into gold paint and threaded some ribbon through the pasta.

It was my idea ... mum helped a bit. Then we made a sign that read "I Made You A Necklace".

I was so happy that she loved it and wore it!

A necklace fit for a Princess

I made more and I'll donate all the profit to charity

I want to be like the Prince and Princess and support charities. I made more necklaces the same as Meghan’s. If I sell them, I’ll send all the profits to research for stillborn babies. My sister, Clara, was stillborn in 2014 and I don’t want it to happen anymore.

I found the perfect research program that will figure out why babies like Clara die and stop it from happening. Mercy Perinatal Hospital came up with a blood test that tells doctors which babies might be stillborn so that they can deliver them and save their lives. I am very excited that my necklace money can help save other babies.

In my first two weeks, I raised $8,000 and donated it to Mercy Perinatal. The money will help them make the blood test better. They were so happy and I was so proud! This is me giving the cheque to Professor Sue Walker.

So far, my necklaces have raised over $18,000 for Mercy Perinatal.

Supporting medical research

Professor Sue Walker explains the breakthrough

Mercy Hospital and Melbourne University are researching ways to end stillbirth. All my profits are being donated to this research

Detecting babies at risk

The research effort is centered on detecting babies that are at risk of stillbirth because the placenta is failing to cope with the increasing oxygen and nutritional demands of the fetus.

A breakthrough is imminent

The team at Mercy Perinatal and Melbourne University have identified genetic and protein markers in the maternal blood stream as well as markers on ultrasound to detect babies that may be experiencing reduced oxygen or nutritional support from the placenta. The next step is to validate these new markers of placental insufficiency so that doctors can target these babies for closer surveillance and safely deliver them before stillbirth occurs.

It's time the stillbirth rate went down

Stillbirth is one of the most neglected global human tragedies, with 3 million lives lost to stillbirth every year at a rate of around 1 in 130 pregnancies in developed countries. In the last three decades, the rate of stillbirth has remained completely unchanged. It’s time we brought the stillbirth rate down!

Further details of the research program:

Mercy Perinatal 

The University of Melbourne

Contact Gavin