In conjunction with school counselors and teachers, The Grief Heroes donations provide students with age-appropriate grief workbooks that help them understand grief and cope with difficult emotions.
In conjunction with school counselors and teachers, The Grief Heroes donations provide students with age-appropriate grief workbooks that help them understand grief and cope with difficult emotions.
In conjunction with school counselors and teachers, The Grief Heroes donations provide students with age-appropriate grief workbooks that help them understand grief and cope with difficult emotions.
Empowering Grieving Youth Through
Education, Music & The Arts
SUSAN BINAU BIO
- Born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Resides in Florida, USA
- Mother of 4: Christina, Malene, Christian, & Andy
SUMMARY
Susan Binau is a global philanthropist, social entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, businesswoman, and colon cancer survivor. A former Miss Universe Denmark and Miss International Friendship, Susan has since developed resources for families coping with cancer, grief, and the death or imminent death (hospice care) of a friend or family member.
Since 2009, Susan has created programs and resources for families dealing with terminal illness and grief. She is the author of self-help books and has invented tools like the Angel KIT™, the Heart Package, and Serenity Academy, designed to support families navigating critical illness or death. These programs have made a difference for more than 25,000 families worldwide. In establishing these programs, Susan built a nonprofit organization in Denmark and collaborated with nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and schools in many countries.
In 2011, Susan and her family took a leap of faith and moved to Florida for a fresh start. She continued to develop and donate resources, and in 2019, she established the Grief Heroes Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with her youngest son, Andy Binau, and their partners, focusing on developing nationwide grief support for children and families.
EDUCATION
- Masters Degree in Adult Education & Human Resource Development
- Bachelors Degree in Educational Planning
(Danmarks Pædagogiske Universitet)
Danish Bachelor of Commerce Accreditation Program, Marketing & Leadership
Hilleroed Handelsskole
- Certification in Cognitive Behavioral and Psychological Testing:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Jungian Type Index, Dr. Belbin
ADVOCACY
Susan's cancer patient advocacy journey began in 2006 when she was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer a few days after her son's 2nd birthday and discovered the lack of resources available for families in that situation. In 2009 she moved to the U.S. with her family to start a global cancer awareness program that would support the families and children of people diagnosed with cancer. The goal was to make it easier for patients and their loved ones to navigate the turbulent time from diagnosis to healing or end of life.
In 2011, Susan developed the AngelKIT™ and HeartPackage resources, tools designed to fulfill an unmet need identified during her research into family experiences during the critical illness or death of loved ones. Since then, AngelKIT™ and HeartPackage donations have made a difference for more than 15,000 families worldwide. Along the way, Susan built a non-profit organization in Denmark and collaborated with non-profit organizations, hospitals, and hospices in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, and the United States.
PHILANTHROPY
Susan's current projects, Grief Heroes Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations is an ambitious initiative to advocate for, and educate grieving children and teenagers, educators and adult family members. Her resources are based on 15 years of development and have been proven to work in 5 countries, supporting thousands of families.
PUBLISHED WORK
DANISH BOOKS
- Mor, må jeg få din pc, hvis du dør? Susan Binau CeoNeo Publishing, 2008
- Til sygdom os skiller, Susan and Alan Binau, Gads Publisher, 2009
- Mor, må jeg få din pc, hvis du dør? (2 edition), Susan Binau, Forlaget Indblik, 2012
- Løven og Margueritruten, CeoNeo Publisher, 2008
- En værdig afsked, MD Klara Balling and Susan Binau, Morpho Publishing, 2009
ENGLISH BOOKS
The Caring Soul Series is a collection of three inspirational self-help books based on true stories, focusing on people dealing with challenging life experiences ranging from serious illness to death and grieving.
- Mommy, Can I Call You in Heaven?: How We Coped with Cancer as a Family
- Till Sickness Do Us Part: How Love Survives Difficult Times, Gads Forlag, 2009
- The Art of Dying: Writing Your Own Final Chapter
CHILDRENS BOOKS
The books in the Super Dog Zam Grief series offer families with grieving children a self-help tool to use at home. The workbooks were developed specifically for three different age groups: 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 years.
- The Parent's Guide: How to Support Your Grieving Child
- The Super Dog ZAM Ages 3-5: A Helping Paw for Grieving Children
- The Super Dog ZAM Ages 6-8: A Helping Pal for Grieving Children
- The Super Dog ZAM Ages 9-12: A Companion for Grieving Children
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
- A Dignified Passing: Landsforeningen Stoette for Afskeden, 2013
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Addressing the difficult topics of illness, death, and dying in her books was a way to create awareness of harmful cultural taboos. Sharing her own experiences and those of her family opened much-needed community and international dialogue on this topic, ultimately leading to speaking engagements in Denmark and beyond. Through these engagements, Binau speaks to corporations, patients, their families, and healthcare professionals to provide motivation, inspiration, and guidance.
An experienced speaker, Susan has traveled internationally to share her story and is a certified Keynote Speaker from the Bill Gove Academy.