Tae Yoon Jin 27 June, 2012 – 3 November, 2023
Thuy Nguyen
Dear Seol, My deepest condolences to you and your family. I will never forget the time I get to look after Tae and what a blessing it was to get to meet you and your family. It brought me so much reward to contribute in the tiny amount. I felt the hard work and dedication you put into looking after Tae and his upbringing despite all your adversities deserve an admiration. I am sorry for your lost and my apology I did not receive this email earlier as I am only now working here casually. I am sending you me thoughts and prayer. Take care. Yours sincerely, Thuy (twee)
Thuy Nguyen
> VIEW ON MEMORY TIMELINETerry Fan
Dear Seol, Lea and family, I am so sorry for your loss, and I send you my love and deepest condolences. Even though I am a writer, words seem to fail me. The loss of a loved one is always unimaginable, but to lose a precious soul at such a young age is beyond words. I learned of Taeyoon through my brother, Eric, who received a message on Instagram from Won. I then contacted Won, who told me more about Taeyoon and shared some photos, which moved me to tears. I was told that Taeyoon was a huge fan of The Barnabus Project, a picture book I had co-authored and illustrated with my two brothers, Eric and Devin Fan. It was a profoundly emotional, humbling and overwhelming experience to realize what an impact our book had on Taeyoon, and it’s something I’ll always cherish. I wish somehow I could have met Taeyoon, but we will always be connected to him in this way - through the power of stories and imagination. I saw a wonderful drawing of Barnabus that Taeyoon had done, and his skill and artistry struck me as remarkable for one so young. Through everything I’ve read and seen about Taeyoon, what emerges is a portrait of an exceptionally kindhearted, sensitive, courageous and imaginative personality who touched the hearts of anyone lucky enough to know him. I can see that he had the soul of an artist, and like Barnabus, he was a dreamer. Despite everything, in all the photos I saw, Taeyoon always had a beautiful, life-affirming smile. I will never forget his smile. Dear Taeyoon, thank you. We are honoured to dedicate our next picture book to you, a sequel to The Barnabus Project. Your presence blessed the world, and we will always hold you in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers. ❤️ Terry Fan
Terry Fan
> VIEW ON MEMORY TIMELINEEric Fan
I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Taeyoon’s family, and thank them for sharing their memories of him with us. I never had the privilege of meeting Taeyoon in person; instead, we met through a book. Taeyoon loved our book, The Barnabus Project. He also embodied the best qualities of Barnabus himself - bravery, kindness, imagination, and resilience. He was the type of reader every writer dreams of having - someone who genuinely understands and connects with your book. That’s the real magic of books; they can connect people across continents and over time. Taeyoon, I wish we could have met in person. Learning about you through your family, and reading all the beautiful memories posted about you, I feel like I’ve gotten to know you. It’s been a profound and humbling experience. Our next book is a sequel to The Barnabus Project, and will be dedicated to your memory. We will never forget you.