About this initiative

"When I was 47 years old, at the same age as my mother, cancer struck me too. I know the battle and the longing to continue to live. I know how incredibly hard it can be to decide to create a memory book about your own life as it can feel as if you're giving up.
From my own experience, I realize that making a memory book does not cause your life to end before your time. On the contrary: by working on “Remember me when I'm gone” you don't only give your child(ren) a very valuable present, but you also give one to yourself: a small monument for you and your life."

Titia Liese, 2005

This project is an initiative of Titia Liese and Juliette Reinders Folmer.

Both Titia as well as Juliette lost a parent when they were only 8 years old. Titia's mother died of breast cancer after having been ill for some years. Juliette's father died of a brain haemorrhage without any advance warning.
Because of these personal experiences they truly realize the devastating impact the early death of a parent can have on a child.

Titia's father created - after her mother's death - a memory book about her mother for Titia. This has become one of Titia's most cherished possesions and has helped her in keeping the memory of her mother alive.

Later during the project Marjon Jens joined Titia and Juliette. Marjon lost her mother when she was 7 years old. She has worked together with Titia and Juliette on other projects about early parent loss.

They each hope that by making this memory book framework freely available to anyone wishing to make a memory book about themselves for their child(ren), they can contribute to the healing process of other children who lose a parent when they are still young.

This memory book framework is largely based on a (much larger) memory book Titia created for adults to work with in dealing with their grief over a parent who died young. This original version is available in Dutch and German and can be downloaded on Titia's website.

This project was inspired by Juliette's involvement as a volunteer for the Dutch Aids Foundation and what she heard there about parents making memory books for their children before they themselves would die of AIDS.

Remember me when I'm gone is dedicated to the memory of these strong individuals who through their creativity showed us the way.
Above all this memory book is meant to be a reaching out and a starting point for people to help them tell their own individual story.

We give thanks to everyone involved in this project for their help and dedication.

Titia, Marjon and Juliette live and work in The Netherlands.

Titia has made it her life's work to help other people who have lost a parent at a young age and does so through her own company Bureau Funale.
Juliette works as a (web-)marketing-communication consultant for small business and non-profit organisations through her company Advies en zo.
Marjon works as a writer and editor and runs several secretaryships from her own office Hibou.