Hello, son,
Today, I’m going to start by telling you a story.
It’s the story of a man walking on a beach.
He is tired.
He knows he has to reach the end, somewhere, but the beach seems endless.
The wind is very strong. It whistles in his ears. The sand burns his eyes and makes him cry.
Every step requires an immense effort.
He could stop. He could turn back.
But he knows that if he retreats now, he will never move forward again.
And he has already come so far.
So he continues, even if it’s difficult, even if the wind pushes his face towards the ground.
And deep down, he knows one essential thing. He is not alone.
There are people watching him, supporting him, even from afar.
And above all, he knows that a tired man can still go very far.
The wind won’t last forever.
One day, moving forward will be simpler.
So he continues.
And he feels the benevolent gazes that help him stand tall.
And he knows he will make it.
This story was told to me by the therapist on Wednesday evening.
Because on Wednesday morning, for us, the wind was blowing very hard.
Too much tension. Too many contradictions.
Six months of stress in our legs.
And the fact that we finally have to ask for donations…
An overstretched elastic band eventually snaps.
Nothing serious, but it’s never pleasant.
What I can tell you, son, is that you should never be ashamed to ask for help.
For a long time, I thought therapists were for broken people.
I can tell you one thing.
We’re all a little broken.
And sometimes, it feels good to put the pieces back together with someone who knows how.
This one, with his EMDR technique, really makes a difference.
(Thanks again to the person who recommended him to us)
The palliative pediatrician was also supposed to come on Wednesday.
And by the way, palliative doesn’t mean we’re going to die.
Palliative means in Latin: to relieve.
(The first time I heard that word, I thought it was the end.)
And the good news is that these pediatricians are very competent.
Finally, she came yesterday morning.
She stayed for at least three hours at home and observed everything.
According to her, it’s very likely that your crying spells are related to recurring hospital traumas.
She prescribed melatonin to help you sleep at night.
It didn’t work last night. You’ve been awake since 1 AM. But that’s normal, it takes time.
She also wants to redo blood tests, especially for ACTH, which was abnormal, to see if it’s not a temporary anomaly.
She also requested other analyses, but I don’t remember the details.
Also, with your mom, we launched a donation campaign.
And honestly, it’s not easy.
We were taught that you never ask without giving.
So yes, it exposes us.
We’re learning…
It’s not comfortable for us.
But objectively, our funds are visibly decreasing, the procedures take time, we need to maintain this pace and endure in the long run.
These donations will help us get through this wave.
And if all goes as planned, we should stabilize.
In any case, Gabriel, you are surrounded by many benevolent guardian angels.
Even if you haven’t been able to meet them yet.
They are there.
They accompanied us to the ICU, sent their messages of love to support us, their energy to help you hold onto life, their music to distract you, their videos to show you what life is and give you the strength to leave the hospital.
And now, their donations to help you receive the care you deserve and which insurance refuses to cover.
Thank you to all your guardian angels.
The story of the man on the beach is a beautiful metaphor.
It reminds us that we should never give up.
And you, son, are the perfect example of it.
You weren’t born on the beaches of Ceará for nothing 😉
I love you.
Dad
PS: One day, you’ll sail against the wind. You’ll see, it will be even faster!
