Mémé Veels

My journey began in a small village in China. As a young girl of almost 3 years old, I faced the hardship of being separated from my parents and ending up in an orphanage. I knew I had to survive. I learned to adapt, to find strength in a world that felt uncertain and lonely. One day, just before I turned 4 years old, my life took a remarkable turn when a family from the Netherlands wanted to adopt me.

Growing up in Rotterdam, I often felt and saw I was different from my peers, yet my parents supported me with openness, love and acceptance. This helped me a lot in building a solid foundation and self-confidence, which was very needed with the rocky path ahead.
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High school was a pivotal time for me in discovering my identity. I often felt different, with lingering questions about my origins and where I truly belonged. It wasn’t always easy navigating this path of self-discovery with so many unanswered questions. But it was an important journey. One in which the role of my parents and friends were crucial.

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After I graduated, my parents and I traveled back to my birth town, a journey to find the missing pieces of my story. This experience was incredibly meaningful, and it helped me to reconnect with my roots and to gain a deeper understanding of who I am as well, and where it all began.

I moved to Amsterdam to study Psychology, where I found a stronger sense of belonging. I discovered my passion for understanding human behavior, their psychology and what moves them to take action. This passion helped me to excel in my studies. Soon after I fulfilled my dream of starting a family, welcoming my son Aiden and later my daughter June.

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Following my studies, I built a career as COO and M&A consultant in startups and corporations worldwide. But despite this success, I felt drawn to a different purpose: helping children to feel at home so they can embrace their unique selves.
I longed to use my creativity and experience to inspire young minds, creating art and writing stories where children's' their uniqueness is being celebrated.

At the same time we wanted to spent more time with each other as a family.
This realization marked a turning point in our life. We made a bold decision to leave the Netherlands and to embark on a whole new adventure.
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We moved to the picturesque island of Mallorca, a place brimming with natural beauty and endless inspiration for creativity and imagination.

This move signaled the start of the next chapter, one where I could finally align my professional life with my personal passions.

I bring a unique blend of personal experience and professional insight to help children at home (no matter where they are).

Having navigated my own journey of identity and belonging, I understand firsthand the importance of feeling at home. Which starts by feeling accepted for who you are. Coupled with years of experience in leadership and psychology, I’m deeply committed to help children embrace their unique selves and grow with confidence.

Each story I write and every illustration is driven by a genuine belief that every child deserves to feel at home so they are empowered to thrive.

This is my passion, and it is the heart of everything I do.