Thank you for supporting our small business, we are so happy you're here!
This dream started two and a half years ago when my son, Luke was born. Shortly after he was born, we immediately knew he was special. Having an emergency surgery at just four weeks old, he was diagnosed with a rare disease called Alagille Syndrome. Alagille Syndrome is a disease that affects the liver, kidneys, and heart. Unfortunately for my son Luke, it caused end-stage liver failure. The next 10 months to follow were filled with countless emergency room trips and hospital stays. We watched Luke's health quickly decline and made the decision to list him for a liver-transplant, knowing that this would be his only opportunity to live a healthy life. At 11 months old, only weeks away from his first birthday, we got the call that changed our lives: they had a liver donor for Luke. After a 17 hour surgery and 60 days in the hospital Luke's life was saved, and we received our new beginning. Looking back, I see God's light and presence in every moment of our journey. On days we weren't sure if Luke would make it to his second birthday, God was there.
Fast-forward one year and my boy is thriving! You would have no idea that at one point he was fighting for his life. A complete stranger, who I call his Guardian Angel, saved his life through organ donation. Having left my career to care for Luke full-time, and knowing going back to work and being away from him a majority of the week was not an option, I dreamed of starting my own business. But starting a business seemed other worldly, as if it were impossible.
That is when my family and I started playing around with the idea of creating a candle company. My family was always my number one supporter throughout our journey of battling Luke's illness. They once again were my number one supporter when I decided to dive head first into starting a business. I have always had a passion for creating cleaner, safer items free of harsh chemicals and toxins. Then it hit us, is it possible to make non-toxic candles? So we started researching; hours, days, and months, of research. We tested wax after wax, fragrance after fragrance, and wick after wick. Finally, after what seemed to be a decade of testing and research, we had what we think is the perfect, safest-burning, candle. I realized I wanted to share these with the world, that I couldn't be the only mom who had reservations about burning candles around my child, and then Olive Branch Vintage was created.
We chose the name Olive Branch Vintage because we felt it reflected on who we are and where we came from. The olive branch is a symbol of peace, hope, and new beginnings.
We hope you join us on our journey, we will continuously be researching and educating ourselves on how to provide you with the best possible candle.
Blessings,
Julia