💚 Memorialization & End-of-Life Account Policy

Honoring Legacy and Caring for Your Digital Footprint

Last Updated: May 2026

A Note Before You Read This

SpoonieFans exists for and is built by people living with chronic illness. For some members of our community, mortality is not an abstract topic — it is part of the lived reality of certain conditions. We have written this policy with deep care, because we believe our community deserves a platform that thinks about these moments before they happen, not after.

This policy explains what happens to a SpoonieFans account when its owner passes away — how loved ones can request changes, how content is preserved or removed, how unpaid earnings are handled, and how creators can plan ahead if they choose to.

💚 Whether you are reading this as a creator planning ahead, a subscriber thinking about your own digital footprint, or a grieving loved one trying to navigate next steps — we are sorry for any pain that brought you here, and we will do our best to make this process as gentle as possible.

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Definitions

Planning Ahead (Recommended)

We strongly encourage all SpoonieFans users — especially creators — to make decisions about their account while they are able to. Doing so spares your loved ones from difficult guesswork during an already painful time, and it ensures your wishes are respected.

Account Legacy Settings

In your account settings, under "Legacy & End-of-Life," you may:

Why This Matters

Without advance planning, decisions about your account default to our standard process, which may not reflect what you would have wanted. A Designated Contact also speeds up verification and reduces the burden on your family.

💡 For Creators: Please consider including your SpoonieFans account in your broader digital estate plan, alongside your other social media, email, and online accounts. Many estate attorneys now offer guidance on this — and there are free resources available online.

Reporting a Death

Who Can Report

Any of the following may report the death of a SpoonieFans user:

How to Report

To report a death, please email memorial@spooniefans.com with:

What Happens After You Report

⚠️ Important: We treat death reports with the utmost seriousness. Falsely reporting a living user as deceased is a severe violation of our Terms of Service, may constitute fraud or harassment, and may be reported to law enforcement. Please only submit a report if you have factual knowledge of the death.

What Happens to the Account

When a user passes away, one of the following will happen depending on advance instructions, family wishes, and the type of account:

Memorialization (Default for Creator Accounts)

A memorialized creator account becomes a permanent tribute. Specifically:

Account Closure

If the account holder requested closure in advance, or if the family/estate requests it, we will:

Subscriber Accounts

For subscriber accounts (no creator activity), the default action is Account Closure. Active subscriptions are cancelled immediately upon verification of death — no further charges, no need to chase refunds. Any unused subscription time is not refunded but is simply terminated. We can memorialize a subscriber profile upon family request if the user was active in the community (commenting, supporting creators).

Unpaid Earnings & Financial Matters

Earnings Belong to the Estate

Any unpaid creator earnings at the time of death are considered part of the deceased creator's estate and will be paid to the estate, the Designated Contact (if pre-authorized to receive funds), or as directed by court order or applicable inheritance law.

How Final Payouts Are Processed

Subscription Refunds

When a creator passes away, we automatically cancel all subscriptions to their account. We do NOT issue refunds for the current billing period (consistent with our Refund Policy), but we ensure no further charges are made. If you are a subscriber to a recently deceased creator, your access to their archived content will be honored through the end of your current billing period before being adjusted to align with the memorialization status.

Content Removal Requests

Family-Requested Removal

Family Members or Legal Representatives may request the removal of specific content (or the entire account) after a death. We will honor these requests when:

Pre-Recorded Wishes Take Precedence

If the deceased user explicitly chose memorialization (and to keep their content public) in their legacy settings, we will honor those wishes over a subsequent family request to remove content — unless a court order or compelling legal authority requires otherwise. We believe an individual's autonomy over their own creative legacy should be respected.

Privacy of the Deceased

Even after death, we continue to protect the privacy of our users. Family Members and Legal Representatives may request management of an account, but they generally cannot:

We may release additional account data only when legally compelled by court order, subpoena, or applicable estate-access law (e.g., the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, where adopted).

Suspected Death (No Report Received)

In rare cases, we may become aware of a user's death through other means — a community member sharing verifiable news, an obituary discovered during routine moderation, or extended account inactivity combined with public information. In such cases:

Timelines

These are our targets. Complex cases (international users, contested estates, missing documentation) may take longer. We will keep you updated throughout.

Appeals & Disputes

If you disagree with how we have handled a memorialization, closure, or earnings request, you may appeal by emailing legal@spooniefans.com within 60 days of our decision. Appeals are reviewed by a senior member of our team who was not involved in the original decision.

In the case of disputed claims (e.g., multiple parties claiming authority over an account), we will pause all action and require court-issued documentation before proceeding.

Special Circumstances

Suspected Suicide

If a death involves suspected suicide and the deceased was an active SpoonieFans creator, we will:

Death of a Healthcare Professional Creator

For verified healthcare professional accounts, we will additionally notify any relevant licensing board verification systems we use, and ensure that any educational content remains clearly labeled as the work of the deceased.

Pre-Death Account Transitions

If a creator becomes seriously ill and wishes to manage their account differently while still alive — for example, granting temporary management to a trusted person, or pausing earnings collection — please contact memorial@spooniefans.com or accessibility@spooniefans.com. We will work with you to accommodate your needs with compassion and discretion.

The Community Around a Loss

When a beloved creator passes, their community grieves. We may, with family permission, post a platform-level acknowledgement, light a virtual candle on the memorial profile, or facilitate a community tribute thread. We do this only with consent and only when it serves the family's wishes and the community's healing.

Subscribers who lose a creator they followed are welcome to reach out to community@spooniefans.com if they are struggling. We are not therapists, but we are real people who care about you.

Updates to This Policy

We will update this policy as digital estate law evolves and as our community feedback shapes our approach. The "Last Updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

Contact Us

Mailing Address:
SpoonieFans / Pickii Group, LLC
Bloomingdale, IL

To everyone who lives with the weight of a serious illness — and to everyone who loves them: we see you. This policy exists because you matter, and so do the legacies you leave behind. 🥄💚