THE FULL
STORY
Planting the seed
I'm Aaron Kessinger, the founder of Living Family Tree.
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In 2021, my beloved grandma Jan was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer. During the few months that she was sick, my dad visited her frequently in the hospital, and began asking her questions he had never thought to ask before. However, he didn't think to record them in any way. Because of that, when she died a few short months later, most of her stories died with her. Since then, one of his biggest regrets has been not capturing those final times spent with his mom in any way. It was then that the seed for Living Family Tree was planted.
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But, mom's parents were still alive, and we were determined not to let the same thing happen with them.
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My last photo with
my grandma Jan
Having worked as an editor and camera operator in Los Angeles for 12 years before starting this company, I decided to gather up my camera gear and make what would become the first Living Family Tree film with my grandparents on my mom's side. Six months after shooting it, my grandfather was moved into a nursing home with aggressive dementia. We happened to capture his story two months before his severe physical and mental decline.
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I encourage anyone who is reading this to get started on telling your or your loved one's story today.