My name is Angela Baines and I'm the founder of My Treasure Chest.
Around 2011 my mum fell and banged her head on a wall. Afterwards she was diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson's disease, and she was admitted to a care home. My dad found that very hard to accept. He would sometimes come home telling us that Mum was getting better and would be home soon. That never happened. Dad passed away in 2013.
He was a hoarder, an avid reader and a traveller. He loved auctions, and I can't remember him ever coming home empty-handed. Sorting out his belongings fell to me and my sister. Alongside the insurance policies, bank cards and premium bonds, he had hundreds if not thousands of books, papers and memorabilia from his travels. His books, vinyl records and clothes went to charity shops, and we asked the family if they'd like anything to remember him by. The process was long and we felt lost. Dad had a will, but it said nothing about the personal wishes he may have had or the special items he might have wanted particular people to have.
I also had a little video clip on my laptop from when we were setting up his computer camera. You could only see the top of his head and hear him saying "testing, testing, one two three", but it gave me some comfort. I don't know how it happened, but I lost that clip. One day it was on my desktop and the next it was gone. I wished I'd been more careful, and I wished we'd kept more photos and memories in one place instead of scattered across different devices and cameras.
A couple of years later my mum passed away. As well as dealing with the house, probate and insurance, we again had to go through her personal things and guess who she might have wanted certain items to go to. Anyone who has been through this knows the anguish it causes while you're still trying to process grief.
By trade I'm a software developer, and I've worked in IT for over 25 years. My Treasure Chest grew out of wanting to make this easier for other people: one secure place holding your personal wishes and messages alongside the legal documents and financial details your family will need, so the process is less daunting for them.
It was built from the heart, but I've used my software experience to build the practical side too - for families directly, and for the solicitors, will writers and advisers who support them.
If any of this sounds familiar, have a look at My Treasure Chest and see whether it could take some of that worry off the people you love - https://www.mytreasurechest.net
