Day 23 | OCTOBER 03, 2021

Good Evening Friends, today is day 23 of our new and amazing life!

Sunday, as you know, is still the hardest day for me, I still get very emotional at Mass , and I can’t stop thinking about the day Charlie will be back in church with us.

Every Sunday Morning around 7:30a , I have been gathering the boys in our King Size bed and we watch Cartoons for about 45 minutes or so, London loves it and baby Julien keeps trying to jump off the bed and I keep making sure that does not happen, there is something so innocent and palpable by having my two boys with me , as I look at the Canvas picture that hangs on the wall directly across from our bed , it is the picture of our wedding day, the moment of our first kiss as husband and wife.

Today that picture has an extra special meaning, today is our wedding anniversary:)

13 years ago, Charlie and I said I do! She was 21 and I was 24! We had so many dreams and aspirations, and after a lot of hard work, mutual support, Love and God’s grace, we have achieved way more than we ever dreamed, including our two amazing boys!

As I reflected on today’s anniversary, I can’t help but think, what if this accident would not have happened on 9/10 at 9:30am ?

I can tell you that I had planned to make dinner reservations at Marigold Restaurant, at Keswick Hall, Charlie and I were so excited to be able to once again have weekly date nights, since my mom was here visiting from Brazil, and could babysit the boys once a week:) Little did we know that Vovo being here would be one of the biggest blessings for our boys, she is now the main caretaker of the kids, with the incredible help of our amazing local moms group.

The what if , will always be present, but I want to believe that our life’s will be much better, more fulfilling and more meaningful than before, so instead of being sad or feeling grief for the amazing life that we lost, I am choosing to be hopeful, grateful to God for this incredible second chance, I am well aware that Charlie’s road to recovery won’t be easy, I know that her pain will be unbearable, and her spirits may not always be positive or strong, and her psychological scars will take a long time to heal, I know how much sadness and pain our life will experience in the next few years, but I pray that God in his infinite mercy, gives us the strength, hope and the drive to keep it going.

One of the main reasons why I am grateful and hopeful, is because I do remember the day of the accident and the moment the doctor called me into a private room with the Chaplain and a Social Worker, and at that very second for few seconds , maybe a minute, I thought that I had lost my wife for good.

I don’t know how I did not collapse or had a heart attack, because at that very moment, I felt like my blood came out of my head and I felt an incredible pain in my heart. But as soon as the doctor told me that she was alive , but her chances of survival were extremely low, at that very second, Hope started to come into my heart, but the one feeling that overcame my mind was fear! And I remained in fear for 5 days! I was lost and could not see any glimpse of a future. I did what I knew would help, I prayed and I begged God for strength and clarity, and God did not let me down. By day 8 I received the strength I needed to take the first step of our new life. And I can say with certainty that the Holy Spirit gave me strength, so for that same reason , I remain faithful and hopeful that God will provide the same way he has provided in our married life of 13 years!

However this time , the real exciting part is that , he has operated a Miracle by saving Charlie’s Life , and that event alone will have an impact bigger than any business success , and I already know that in our new life, giving back to people in need will take center stage, I am not sure yet how we will do that, but after my talk with Charlie today, she agrees with me , God is leading us on the right direction, we just need to continue to be humble and trusting and he will show us the exact way he wants us to spread his work, and I thank you for being here and becoming a witness to a living miracle!

Today was a very good visit, Charlie was very alert, she always is on Sundays after no surgery on Saturday.

We talked about our 13 years of marriage, and Charlie reminded me of the incredible time we have had in our marriage and also the tribulations we endured and became stronger after each one of them. She is very excited for the next 13 years .

She also said that she is happier with my anniversary gift of today, vs any fancy meal or trip!

Here is what I gifted Charlie with, please don’t laugh. I brought her toothbrush and hairbrush to the hospital, and I brushed her teeth, she was beyond happy:) . It is amazing how such a simple thing, that most of us take for granted like brushing our teeth, can have such positive impact on her, I guess it all depends on our circumstances, but also teaches me to not take anything for granted, I now appreciate every single thing, it is almost like my life is in slow motion for the last 23 days, everything is important.

Yes! We video chatted with the boys! Thank you Vovo for overcoming your technological handicap , you did an amazing Job! Charlie was beyond happy to see London and Baby Julien on camera, London told mommy how much he misses her and also how much he loves her !! Baby Julien did smile for mommy, and London did ask if mommy was ok .

As I end this day, I have mixed feelings, in one hand I am beyond grateful, on the other I am a little sad today, sad to see my wife in pain, not only in her body, but also in her mind, I am also hopeful for our future, overall we had a very good day!

I will continue to ask for your prayers, and to continue to share Charlie’s story via the Gofundme or Facebook, I am hoping that many more people would like to hear the message of hope and love.

Thank you for all your love and support!

May God Bless You.

André