Yahoo Lifestyle He Lost His Mom at 15. Now, 25 Years Later, He's Working to Keep Her Memory Alive Every Day (Exclusive)
Bonnie Kathleen Briedis died at 54 on Nov. 16, 1999, 14 years after being diagnosed with breast cancer
Samuel Briedis
Andrew Briedis with his momWhen Andrew Briedis was 15 years old in 1999, his mom died at 54 years old. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer 14 years prior
Speaking to PEOPLE, Briedis explains that he has been posting about his mom since the early days of social media
When the anniversary of his mother's death approached this year, Briedis says it felt particularly challenging, as it marked 25 years since their final day together
He decided to post a video on TikTok, where it has since garnered more than 193,000 views and nearly 2,900 comments
Andrew Briedis was only 15 years old when his mother, Bonnie Kathleen Briedis, died at 54 on Nov. 16, 1999, 14 years after her breast cancer diagnosis. Now, 25 years later, the screenwriter, who currently lives in New York City, is sharing stories of his late mother on TikTok in hopes of keeping her memory alive.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Briedis explains that he has been posting about his mom since the early days of social media. The first video he made for TikTok, posted on Mother's Day 2021, featured a story about her being his baseball coach while he was growing up. Since then, he has continued to share stories about her online and pays a special tribute to her each year on the anniversary of her passing.
"It's one of the very few universal human experiences, and there's no way around it, and there's no way to train for it," he says. "I think it's important to talk about it online because you get a sense of how truly different the individual experiences can be, and that helps people see that there is no wrong way to grieve."
"Sharing my mom's story has helped me reflect on my own grief journey and I'm really grateful I chose to embrace," he adds. "Losing my mom is a huge part of my identity, and that has kept her alive, but it's also given me a really healthy relationship with grief."
When the anniversary of his mother's death approached this year, Briedis says it felt particularly challenging, as it marked 25 years. He felt compelled to do something truly special. Originally, he planned to honor her privately, but after giving it some thought, he changed his mind, pulled out his camera, and recorded a video. He later posted it on TikTok, where it has garnered more than 193,000 views and nearly 2,900 comments.
"I was really touched because it's not as easy to go viral these days," he adds. "You really need a tremendous amount of support from the viewers, so seeing the numbers grow was really a reflection of how people were responding to my mom."
"It reminded me of how much people loved her when she was alive," he continues. "She brought people such joy in life, and now she was bringing so many a sense of comfort in death. Most of the comments were from people grieving themselves, and they talked about how the video gave them a form of peace."
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In the video, Briedis talked about details from his mom's final days that he recently learned from his dad, including how sad she was that she wouldn't be able to watch Briedis grow up. Along with this, he jokingly talked about how his mom would have hated TikTok, and how he can't even imagine trying to explain it to her.
"That really hit me in a way I couldn't appreciate when I was younger, because not much had happened yet," he tells PEOPLE. "But now, there have been 25 years worth of things that have happened. I moved to New York, got married, and we raised a dog for as many years as I knew my mom."
"As I thought about what she said to my dad, and all the things she didn't get to see, I realized that by telling her story whenever I can, saying her name, and striving to live in her spirit, she's been with me through all of it," he adds.
Samuel Briedis
Andrew Briedis with his mom as a kidLooking toward the future, Briedis, now 40, says he plans to continue to keep his mom's memory alive through his screenplay writing, social media and just everyday life. He hopes that by continuing to share stories about his mom he can show people they are "not alone in their grief"
"Grief takes time, and evolves as you age," he says.
"As I say in the video, I see her whenever I do something she did," he adds. "We have a lot of the same traits. We have the same sense of humor and the same relentless anxieties. So whenever I land a good dark joke, or run back up four flights of stairs because I am convinced I forgot to lock my apartment door, I say, 'Hi, Mom.' That's her winking at me."
