DAYTON, Ohio — There are countless ways to honor the memory of a loved one, celebrate a special milestone or reflect on an accomplishment.
Many times being able to hold, wear or see the memory makes it even more special.
One Ohio jewelry maker is sharing her special bond of parenthood with clients all across the world.
“So we’ve got breastmilk from a breastmilk journey,” said Megan Stevens as she opened a package of breastmilk from the mail.
Stevens owns “Tree of Hope Creations.” and breastmilk jewelry is extra special.
“I know exactly how important this is. I still get chills every now and then. This is literally liquid gold,” she said as she continued to unwrap the package.
When starting the business, Stevens said it was an inspiration from her own journey with her husband and three children: McKenzie, Colton and Mary Hope.
Between being a young mom with her first baby and her second baby’s health issues, she tried her hardest to make her breastfeeding journey last a year, but made it seven months each.
She was determined that her last baby would be different.
“I remember waking up on her birthday, and I’m going to get emotional, but having this overwhelming feeling of fulfillment. Like I did it. We did it, and her looking up and smiling at me,” she said.
Her husband, Cody, made her something very special to help honor her journey.
Little did she know the gift of a handmade wooden plaque with her breastmilk would change everything.
“The countless hours of tears and smiles and all the feels and also growing into your motherhood journey, and it reminds you of those precious times,” Stevens said.
It’s a feeling she wanted to share.
After a post on social media, her business took off shortly before the pandemic started.
She’s made 10,000 pieces in nearly four years.
It’s a very specific process with a lot of precise organization.
For jewelry, it doesn’t take a lot of milk.
“For jewelry pieces, it’s about half an ounce,” she said.
It all starts with a powder.
“This will neutralize any bacteria growths in there,” Stevens said as she mixed the powder and breastmilk.
Orders pour in every day and each piece takes time.
“If I were starting from point A to point B, and there wasn’t a wait, it would take about a week because that takes one to two days, then it takes 24 to 48 hours to cure the resin, and then I set it in the stone, and we actually put it under a light to make sure there’s no yellowing or anything like that,” she said.
The business has been so successful that Stevens, her husband and her mom quit their careers to focus on making memories.
Breastmilk jewelry and plaques are top sellers, but Stevens said the sky is the limit.
“We do breastmilk, we do ashes, we do burial dirt, hair, fur, clothing — essentially if it’s important to you, chances are we will be able to create something special with it,” she said.
Usually, each order comes with a story.
“We read every single letter and sometimes it’s heavy,” she said as she read a letter.
Feeling a part of each piece and each story comes naturally these days.
Because of her success, the business will move from her mom’s spare room to a barn outside of Dayton, Ohio.
“It’s completely separated and framed out and we’ll be moving there in the next couple of months and I am so excited for our Tree of Hope to have an actual home of its own,” Stevens said.
Each piece of jewelry or plaque can cost anywhere between $40-$1,000 depending on the size and materials.
When it comes to learning how to make the pieces, Stevens is self-taught and said she’s always willing to learn new techniques to make fresh designs.
