Hello, son,
Today, I absolutely have to write to you to tell you something important:
This time, it’s happening!
Your Grandpa Robert has just set off on an extraordinary challenge: 925 km by bike, from Belleville-en-Beaujolais to Nice, crossing the Alps, solo.
He spent a huge amount of time preparing for this challenge.
Months of preparation, thinking, organizing, and also communication so this project could come to life.
And today was the big departure!
Your Grandpa first stopped by Crédit Agricole in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, a partner of the challenge, then he joined Grandma Michelle and all his friends who came to help sell the paella Christine prepared in front of the Belleville Carrefour.
More than 200 portions of paella were sold and around 100 people were there for the big departure.
With your mom and you, we were able to watch him leave on video.
And it felt really strange.
We would have loved so much to be there, next to Grandpa, to cheer him on and see him set off.
But we were here, in Brazil, the three of us.
And when we saw him leave, we had tears in our eyes.
Because deep down, behind this sporting challenge, there’s so much more.
Everything Grandpa, your family, and people are doing for you.
Everything we’ve been through.
Everything we hope for your future.
So even from several thousand kilometers away, we wanted to show him we were with him.
And you too, buddy, you’re taking part in your own way.
You had your little sign “Go Grandpa Robert!” to cheer on your Grandpa and support him from afar.
And even if you couldn’t be there to see him leave, you were with him.
We feel that sense of helplessness, not being able to be there in person.
But at the same time, we feel so much gratitude.
Gratitude for everything your grandparents do for you.
For everything your family does.
And for everyone who, near or far, supports us in this journey.
🎥 Grandpa Robert’s departure on video:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Duu8vn5G1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbxnJ7qxkIh/
We spent a lot of time preparing this challenge and all its communication.
And today, it’s a real success!
The story has been picked up by newspapers in France, Brazil, and even on TV.
Your Grandpa even went on a TV set for the first time in his life!
You know, buddy, we’re doing all this for one very simple reason: to make sure your rare disease is no longer rare.
So that the next families who face this disease, somewhere in the world, won’t end up alone like we sometimes were.
And guess what?
It’s working!
Since we started talking about your illness and bronchiolitis obliterans, we’ve already met 3 families: one in France, one in Canada, and one in Colombia.
Three families who now know they’re not completely alone anymore.
And maybe tomorrow, there will be even more.
And together, we’ll find solutions!
I hope that when you read this text, your illness will no longer be an issue in your life.
I hope with all my heart that you’ll simply be a big boy who’s grown up, running around everywhere, getting into mischief, and not even thinking anymore about everything we went through.
In the next few days, Grandpa Robert will definitely struggle at times.
He’ll have to climb some of the highest mountain passes in the Alps.
He’ll probably have sore legs, he’ll be tired, and he may sometimes wonder why he started this adventure.
But he planned his little good-luck charm.
Photos of you attached to his bike frame.
He’s taking you with him.
Lately, memories have been coming back too.
A year ago, you were just getting out of the ICU…
A second birth for you and for us.
Since then, time has passed.
And you know what, buddy?
We did it!
We have NEVER gone back to the ICU! Or to the hospital!
And even if the road is still long, the three of us have come an incredible distance!
So always remember what your Grandpa is showing you today.
You have to keep moving forward.
Even when the road is hard.
Even when the mountain seems huge.
Even when you don’t know exactly how far you’ll be able to go.
You always have to keep moving forward.
Grandpa Robert is showing you that today!
Remember it in the hard moments!
I love you.
Dad
