WHOLE AGAIN: Crowning her scars — how a mother’s love led to Shelley Barry’s second act
At 24, a bullet severed Shelley Barry’s spine, leaving her breathing and speaking through a tube in her throat. Her mother began making necklaces from scraps of cloth and old jewellery to hide the tube and make her daughter feel beautiful again. Nearly 30 years later, those necklaces have become Whole Again Jewellery — a business born from trauma and transformed into a celebration of life, joy…
On March 1st, Shelley Barry launched Whole Again Jewellery, a business that began nearly three decades ago when her mother made protective necklaces from cloth and old jewellery to cover the tracheostomy tube in her throat following a tragic accident. At just 24 years old, Shelley was shot during a minibus taxi shootout in Cape Town, leaving her paralyzed and unable to speak. Her mother began crafting the necklaces to make her feel beautiful and hide the tube.
Nearly 30 years later, those necklaces have transformed into a successful jewelry business, Whole Again Jewellery. The company's pieces are handcrafted from recycled materials and fabric, each unique and handcrafted. The name is not about being broken and then repaired, but rather celebrating life, thriving, and embracing one's scars. For Shelley, the jewelry is a statement of power, agency, and joy – a way to crown her scars and claim her purpose.
Tracing her journey from victim to thriving entrepreneur, Shelley now teaches, creates, and serves as an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and associate professor at Nelson Mandela University. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and determination to overcome even the most significant obstacles.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
