Guest Profile

Angie Hanson

Angie Hanson has been through tremendous loss.  Angie lost her 1 year old son Garret in 2006 just six days after his 1st birthday.  Garret died suddenly in his sleep due to a rare heart defect that we didn’t know he had.  Angie’s husband, Jack was diagnosed a year later in late October 2007 with terminal cancer, ocular melanoma.  Jack battled his cancer for only 16 months losing his fight in February 2009.  Angie’s brother, Seth, had been battling a brain tumor for 5 years and had been doing good, but just one month after her husband Jack had died, Seth’s brain tumor came back in full force.  Seth lost his battle with the brain tumor in April 2009, just 2 months after her husband died.  Angie then lost her sister n law, Brooke (her husband Jack’s sister) due to alcoholism in 2018.  After having been through so many losses, all the cards I received were so generic and although I knew they were thoughtful from the many people, they just didn’t give me that little good feeling vibe I needed. I needed to create a “grief” card that you can give your best friend that skips over the “with deepest sympathy” moments or the “I’m sorry” words and speaks how you would speak to each other in real life.  This is where Butterflies + Halo’s was created; this greeting card company will help  create a space for the griever so they feel less alonecand showcup intentionally for a friend and also help you as a friend send hope into your grieving friend's heart & home. These cards aren’t here to “fix” it, but to show you care and you are on this journey with your friend.  The days after a death are always shockingly numb and full of decisions we don’t want to make, but have to. But what happens after the 2 - 4 week mark?  Everyone goes back to their “normal” lives and the griever is stuck with the loneliness, the anger, & the heavy grief. There is no greater feeling, then knowing you have made your friend, the griever,  feelcacknowledged andctheir grief is acceptable months & years after a death (or other losses). Most of my cards have a funny pun to them, but most are kind words to share with the griever.