Grieving hits everyone differently. For some it’s a huge avalanche of emotions and for others it’s small waves that come and go at random times. For most people, grief comes without warning or choice, because no one really knows how to handle a tragic situation. A recent viral TikTok video that hits way too close to home is the perfect example.
T-Lex helps family and friends of Alexia Getz while mourning her loss
I recently wrote on a viral TikTok about a stuffed dinosaur that doubled as a stash jar carrying the ashes of a 26-year-old woman who lost her life last month. This 26-year-old, Alexia Getz, was a family friend and someone my son adored with all his heart. So I felt compelled to give some insight from my perspective on how people cry and why T-Lex helps so many people.
When I first saw T-Lex, it made me sad. It was a moment of reality hit that I will never see Getz again, and it hit hard. But at the same time, T-Lex comforted my heart. Knowing that her mother can hug her whenever she needs to is a comforting thought. And the full story of T-Lex’s creation gives a warm feeling that Getz would approve of it all.
Nikki Ayers, Getz’s sister, explained in the TikTok video that while the family waited for a crystal urn to arrive from the UK, the idea of using a stash jar in a stuffed dinosaur to the moment is born. But the idea hit in a way no one probably expected and that’s where the ashes will remain.
People on TikTok were very supportive of the idea, and many reached out to Ayers to see if she would make more and sell them.
It wasn’t an idea that originally crossed her mind, but now, after seeing the impact it has on many people, she is in the process of bringing it to life. She came across an amazing way to not only mourn her sister, but to carry on her name and legacy while helping others in the process.
Alexia Getz was my son Jesse’s favorite person growing up
My son Jesse, now 17, was only 7 when he met Getz. He instantly fell in love with her. My little boy looked at her with stars in her eyes, as if she were the sun and the moon. This love only grew and Getz embraced it.
As a teenager, she might have thought it was cute and lived her life, but she went above and beyond to make sure Jesse knew how important he was to her. As a mother, I am eternally grateful to her. She was not only nice to Jesse, but she was also an amazing addition to our family whenever she spent the day with us.
Hearing Ayers describe his sister brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart. “Alexia was a firecracker as a human being. She loved to ride motorcycles and was an experienced rider,” she said. “She loved animals, loved to laugh, and ate stuffed animals.”
Jesse totally agrees. She had a way of her that was kind and loving, humorous, adventurous and fun. While having a conversation with her about literally anything, it was easy to forget that she was a teenager at the time. He was definitely an old soul.
To honor Getz, Jesse embroidered a picture of her on her backpack and put a sticker on our car in her honor. He’s also making bigger plans to keep his spirit alive with a T-Lex tattoo. Jesse turns 18 later this year and his birthday present from me will be the tattoo he’s planning. I think I could also have a matching tattoo.
T-Lex comforts people near and far
Ayers literally stumbled upon the idea of T-Lex and is very grateful for it. Not only did she create the dino hideout pot with Getz a few years ago, Getz was a huge dinosaur lover. There’s even a TikTok video of Getz singing “I’m a dinosaur” as a dinosaur.
While that might be too much or too emotional for some, but for people who loved Getz, it all aligns in a heartwarming way on some level.
Ayers isn’t just making cuddle urns as a business to help others grieve, but she has more ideas to make it a more customizable and personal experience for each person.
“I’m looking for loggers like the ones Build-A-Bear uses and a QR code instead of a tag with a phone number in case it gets lost,” she said.
Ayers is currently working on a few for some people who contacted her. She recently created a chocolate lab puppy for a mom who never had the chance to hold her baby girl.
“The head comes off and you would put the ashes in the glass jar inside a bag and then it would just screw back on,” she said in the video, pointing to the puppy urn. “I can’t wait for her to join her mum, so she can cuddle her and hold her baby, because she never had this chance.”
Ayers recently started a GoFundMe page to help defray the costs of obtaining a patent for his idea and to help others who cannot afford a cuddle urn.
“Thank you all for the support! I have a meeting with a company that helps get patents this week. They estimate $900-1500 to get the patent,” an update on the page read. GoFundMe.
“The rest of what is donated will be split in half, half will be put into an account for charity. These would be people who would like a cuddle urn but can’t afford to buy one. second half will go to the domain name of the website and obtaining the supplies needed to make them.
For more information while the website is up and running, reach out to Ayers in a Facebook DM.