Andre Xavier's Blog, page 13

Day 277 | JUNE 14, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 277 of our new and amazing life!

Today I was up and out of bed early, 5am.

It was a warm night and a little uncomfortable, but the main reason why I didn’t sleep much was because I was so worried about Charlie overheating.

Thank God, she did not overheat, but she was very uncomfortable.

So, by 6:20am I was at Lowes, I took your suggestions and purchased a portable ac unit for her room, I made my way back with the unite all excited to install it and provide Charlie with some relief, when I open the box and remove the unite and its parts, I quickly realized that I was missing few components to complete the installation, to say that I was upset, was an understatement.

I carried the heavy unit back to my car and drove back to Lowes, and returned the defective AC unit, so I went on and grabbed a different unit, and made sure to open it before checking out to ensure that all parts were there, so as I am driving back, after have wasted almost 2 hours,

I felt this incredible frustration and angry, but shortly after, I thought wait, why am I mad?

Don’t I realize how blessed I am to have the means to buy a portable AC?

How blessed I am to have a wife at home to be concerned about. At that very second, I felt all my anger and frustration melt away, I was able to think and become grateful, because I have so much to be grateful for!

This morning I learned a lesson on gratitude.

When I got home, I installed her AC and it did start to cool off and within 2 hours, her room was cool

Luckily for us, around 2 pm the AC technician came and fixed our problem, now we have a working AC and a backup unit for Charlie in case we experience a similar issue.

Charlie had PT in the morning and she did so well, she walked with the help of a walker 644 feet , she keeps getting better and better!

Today we both had plans. Charlie planned to take London to his movie theater experience. She and her good friend loaded up our van with the boys, London and his buddy, and they went to watch Bad Guys.

I had a professional event to attend, and was also gone for a few hours in the afternoon.

When we arrived home, it was almost time for the boys to go to bed. Today Charlie read books to both boys, it was so cute.

Well, you may be wondering why I am writing today, and the truth is, I missed writing my journal daily, and after my therapy session, my therapist told me that I must continue to write, it is part of my treatment, so here I am back to our daily entries.

I am sorry for any confusion I may have created, writing is therapeutic to me, and your prayers and positive thoughts are very helpful to our family.

May God bless you and have a good night!

André

Day 276 | JUNE 13, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 276 of our new and amazing life!

I have missed my daily journal entries; I have been looking forward to today!

Well, we had a very good weekend. Saturday was a good day; I woke up early and made breakfast for the whole family. We had a happy morning; it is so amazing to have Charlie home to be part of these sweet moments.

In the morning, I spent a few hours with the boys, we cleaned our backyard area, removed weeds, we also attended to our tomato plants. I showed London how to prune the tomato plant, and he really enjoyed it!

Charlie had her wound care today and we had good friends visiting us, it was great to see them? Our boys played together? It was a very fun afternoon!

Charlie was tired, the wound care days were very demanding, and she went to bed a little earlier than usual.

I spent some time working on my book that night. I am so happy to hear all your amazing reviews and feedback, I feel that I have accomplished my goal in terms of how I wanted to make my words feel. Thank you for your support.

Sunday was a special day, we let London sleep in, he needed it.

We had breakfast and he joined us a little later than usual.

We had fun with the boys, we played games and watched a movie as a family.

London had fun with our neighbors, they had a sprinkler out and the boys had so much fun!!

We also received communion at our house, it was the first time in a while for Charlie and we were so grateful for this incredible opportunity! Thank You Holy Comforter Church for making this happen for us, it was a powerful experience as the gospel reading was, it really spoke to Charlie and I, here is the passage from Roman’s:

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

There is so much truth into those words, suffering does absolutely produce perseverance but also compassion, perseverance does give us Character and strength, and strength gives us hope and gratitude.

You see, each phase teaches us a lesson and gives us a reward, and there is a price to be paid in order to become strong, grateful and compassionate.

As we enter this new phase of Charlie’s recovery journey of being home, we once again face the suffering of adjusting and of the unknown.

Today was a busy day, we started the day with no power, luckily, we have a battery for Charlie’s medical bed, and fans.

I had a incredible busy day at work, and around mid-day we noticed that our house was a tad warm, and sadly our AC stopped working, I called around and tomorrow afternoon is the earliest a technician can come, we are grateful to have the power back, and we have 3 fans for Charlie, so she is not overheating, that is the only and main concern of ours.

We appreciate the offers, but Charlie can’t stay anywhere also, she needs her hospital bed and supplies, so we must stay at home.

Tomorrow will be a better day and God willing our AC will be back in order.

In our past life, when the ac went out, we moved into a hotel until the ac was fixed, on this new life, we don’t have this luxury, but guess what, we don’t even contemplate the idea, we know we have to stay at home, so we just find ways to cool off, and tomorrow we will be so grateful for the AC, it is good to be reminded of how blessed we were and how blessed we continue to be.

Tonight, as we try to fall asleep, I will think of the many things I took for granted in the past, and I will ask God for the strength to be graceful in the face of adversity, because I know it will make me stronger and I am willing to pay the price.

May God bless You, have a good night.

André

Day 272 | JUNE 09, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 272 of our new and amazing life.

This morning London came to my room around 6:30am, and said dad, I don’t feel good, I have a headache.

I took him and placed him next to me, and he fell asleep. By 7:30am I was downstairs with London and Julien, getting breakfast ready.

Poor London didn’t feel too good, so he lay on the sofa and ate some fruit, but not much. I medicated him, by mid-day he was feeling better and was playing and having fun.

Today was one of the few days I was able to focus on work. I even went up to Patch to help a little, so it felt like a very productive day.

Charlie also had a busy day, she had morning PT, she came home, did wound care, and left just in time for her OT appointment, talk about a busy day!

She did very well, and already her new record walking on a different type of walker, this time around she walked 515 feet, so very proud of you Charlie! She keeps on pushing!

Today a sweet interaction happened between my mom and Charlie, they were both in the kitchen, when my mom looked at Charlie and gestured to the coffee maker, they both smiled at each other and no word was said, my mom started to set up the table for their afternoon Cafe com Leite, the equivalent of an afternoon tea, but with Coffee and some treats, it was the cutest interaction ever, I even grab a picture of them hugging.

We had a serious conversation today, about the medical decisions that will be needed to make in the very near future.

Tonight's dinner was very special, yet so normal, for the first time in a while, we had dinner together as a family, with both boys and Vovo, it was just a sweet moment, and made me feel so grateful to be there, to have Charlie, it is just amazing how much joy we can have when we stop and just pay attention to the now.

I did leave my phone in the kitchen purposely, so I would not be distracted.

I am so grateful for our new life, it is not an easy adjustment, and it is not an easy road ahead, but the fact we have each other, it is an amazing blessing and we are so grateful to God!

Have a good night, and may God bless you!

André

Day 271 | JUNE 08, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 271 of our new and amazing life!

Today was a busy day!

We started it as usual with the boys and I having breakfast and Charlie joining shortly after.

She was beyond proud of her accomplishment today, she was able to brew her own coffee this morning! It is a huge deal! Charlie is slowly regaining her independence.

Charlie only had her appointment at the burn center this afternoon, so she had the morning off and she had so much fun with the boys.

I was hard at work trying to get as much done before we had to depart to Richmond.

We left in a hurry and took our lunch to eat in the car.

Driving to VCU was like Dejavu, I have made that drive so many times, and for the last week or so, I haven’t driven much, so it was a mixed feeling.

Upon arrival at VCU hospital, I knew that we had to find parking as close to the 8th floor as possible, since I knew that Charlie’s chair would not fit on those elevators, because they are small and always full.

So, I found a parking spot on the 7th floor of the parking garage and we walked (Charlie rode her chair) to the 8th floor entrance, where her Chair would fit.

Once again, we learned that most places are not as accessible as they could or should.

We finally made our way to the burn clinic, and I showed Charlie the waiting area that I waited for when we first got there. I also showed her the meeting room where I received the first update from her doctor, the one I talk about in the first chapter.

Charlie had not seen that part of the burn unit before.

When her name was called, we went to see her doctor, he was very happy to see us, and he genuinely seemed excited to see Charlie, the consultation lasted 4 hours! Well, it was like a old friends reunion

Charlie and her doctor had serious discussions about the next part of her treatment, and we have some big decisions ahead of us, please pray for wisdom.

The doctor was very pleased with her healing, and she will be seeing a hand specialist to decide how to help the scarring on her right hand. It is possible that a surgical intervention will be necessary.

Charlie and I walked by her old ICU room, and several of her nurses came running to say hello! It was such a sweet moment to see the incredible staff of the Burn Unit.

Today's trip to VCU was successful and also emotional, but in a positive way, the memories of the early days and being there today made us feel grateful. It is amazing to see how far Charlie has come.

I am so grateful for your prayers and support, please continue to pray, big medical decisions are ahead of us and we need all the guidance we can get.

May God Bless You!

André

Day 270 | JUNE 07, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 270 of our new and amazing life!

Today was a good day.

This morning Charlie had her hand therapy appointment at 8:30a, since she had a medical transportation taking her to the appointment, she was up and ready by 7am.

When I made my way downstairs Charlie was getting ready to depart, I went outside to make sure her ride was safe and she was comfortable, I was nervous like a parent sending their kid for the first time on a school bus

While she was at her appointment I tried to work as much as I could, since today I made the point to spend some quality time with London. He has been missing me since the accident, I was gone every night and he only saw me on the weekends, so I have some catching up to do.

Charlie returned from her appointment, all went well with her transfer and hand therapy was successful as well.

We ate lunch together, and ate the delicious brigadeiros for dessert, they are just the best sweet treat ever

Right at 5pm, I made my way out of my office, and London was ready for time with daddy! We decided to run some errands together, we also stopped by Sam’s Club, London loves to go there and to look at all teve toys for sale!

After our grocery run, we both went to our favorite moment together, hair cut time!

London and I have been getting haircuts together since he was around 11 months old, he absolutely loves his hair cuts.

We got home around 7pm, just ok time for dinner!

We actually took a shower before dinner, and Charlie read him books before bed.

Today felt a little more normal than yesterday.

I want to take a second to thank you, for your continued support of the book, I have been receiving so many messages of how much they enjoyed the first book, and I am so glad to hear that, I hope you can see the difference on the writing style I developed on the book vs here in the Journal.

It is hard work, but if I was going to write and sell a book, it needed to be done well, and I am so grateful to our editor, she is beyond talented and makes my writing so much better.

Please continue to send me your opinion on the first chapter, and please continue to share the book links.

We continue to be thankful and please pray for us, tomorrow we will go to Richmond, for Charlie’s appointment at the Burn Clinic, which is in the same floor/ wing as the Burn Unit, I have no idea what kind of emotions Charlie and I will experience, but I can tell you that we are both looking forward to return to that very place, where she almost didn’t survive! But with God’s miracle and our faith and your prayers, she is alive and getting healed each day!

Thank you, and May God Bless You!

André

Day 269 | JUNE 06, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 269 of our new and amazing life!

Today was a very special day!

As we all know, today is Charlie’s birthday!!

It is a very special birthday, and we are so grateful to have her with us at home for her special day. It is truly a miracle to have her with us!

The day started with London up and early, around 5:30am, after telling him to read some books we finally made our way downstairs to see the birthday girl.

She looked beautiful! Charlie got all dressed up today and did her make up, and headed out with her girlfriends for her birthday lunch at South and Central in Charlottesville.

She had a fantastic time with her friends and I am so glad that she was able to have her celebration with some of her closest friends!

While Charlie was at Lunch, a lot was happening!

To start, the Pre-sale of my book (from now on, I will refer to the book as mine, since Charlie is going to be writing her own book, it is better to avoid confusion down the road), per mutual agreement between me and Charlie, the moment the sale went live! You guys didn’t disappoint!

Thank you so much for your incredible support, because of your generosity and quick response, I almost Lost her is now seating at the number 1 new release and number 3 best seller on the personal growth category, Amazon kindle store this is all you, by purchasing the book, you made it a bestseller on day 1!

I was not expecting such a response, and we are so grateful for your support!

I hope that you had a chance to read the first chapter, please share your review and thoughts in the comments below, and let me know if you would be interested in a live conversation with me about the first chapter. If we have enough interest, I would schedule such an event for the following week.

While the book was being sold, my mom had started in the kitchen the day production of the best Brazilian birthday food! Yes, there is such a thing!

My mom made brigadeiros, these sweet treats are made of, condensed milk, chocolate and butter, rolled in colorful sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles, and one of the hardest savory treats to make, Coxinha was also on today’s menu, these savory treats, is made of potatoes and flour dough, filled with shredded chicken, and breaded and then deep fried, they are Charlie’s favorite fried treat from Brazil.

They are absolutely delicious, but very labor intensive to make, so I helped my mom with the cooking and I am so glad that I did because now, I know how to make this very difficult but delicious dough.

Today there was no big celebration at home, just a very low key, just us, enjoyment of a few treats, cupcakes and some laughs. It was a nice little celebration of Charlie's 36th birthday! That was Charlie’s request.

I do feel bad that my gift to her didn’t arrive today as planned, but Charlie understood and hopefully her gift will arrive tomorrow.

I do want to let you know that I will need to make a change to my writing schedule, Starting next week, I will be posting twice a week, I am looking into what days will be best, I have realized that I must focus more of my time at home, since Charlie’s return home, I haven’t been the amazing husband I thought that I was, I am actually resembling my old “bad husband “ persona, and to avoid this kind back into our lives , I will have to refocus and do better with the boys and Charlie.

I am sure I will miss our daily entries, but I think a bi weekly journal can also have its benefits.

I also need to really focus on finishing the book, since so many of you have purchased it, and it will be published on September 10th, 2022! And there will be an in-person book signing event!

I just want to become the better version of myself that has been transformed during this incredible journey, I need to be the husband and father that Charlie and my boys need and deserve, and to do that, I need to really focus on them.

Please do not worry, you will continue to hear everything about our family and the blessings and challenges ahead of us.

I am looking forward to hearing all about your impressions of the first chapter!

And let me know if you want to ask me live, all your questions about this first chapter!

Have a good night and May God bless You!

André

Day 268 | JUNE 05, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 268 of our new and amazing life!

Ah Sunday, the day we always went to Mass, followed by brunch.

Since Charlie has arrived home, we have not been able to attend mass as usual, due to the fact in the mornings, it takes time for Charlie to get ready, so we truly are not able to be able to be in time at the Church, we are hoping to make some adjustments to make church possible again very soon, our faith is very important to us, and we are very grateful to God for his blessings towards our family.

Today we had a visit from PT home health, and they did an evaluation of our home accessibility and they gave us an excellent rating. We do have a very safe and accessible first floor of our home. Thank you for your donations and our incredible team of designer, construction crew for the great work done!

We are so grateful for everything you have done in order to accommodate the changes needed to welcome Charlie home.

Today was our Au Pair, Sandra's birthday! Charlie was so kind and ordered cupcakes and asked for a special dinner with Brazilian food to celebrate both of their birthdays. It was a very low-key dinner with just us.

Tomorrow is Charlie’s birthday! It is such a blessing for her to be alive to celebrate one more birthday! Charlie declined any offer of a large celebration, she wanted a very intimate lunch with her girlfriends and at night, an even smaller celebration at our home with just us.

She is absolutely grateful for this birthday, but she also just wants a small celebration? She is not yet ready for a large event.

Today I helped my mom with the cooking. I am trying to learn some of her recipes, for when she is gone in August, and I was also responsible for the boys. On the weekends our au pair is off, so it is me taking care of the boys.

I will be honest, I am drained. Today was a very demanding day for me. I am mentally and physically exhausted, I have to get used to these new responsibilities, I know I can do it, I am just not used to it yet. I have no idea how moms do it!

The boys had so much fun with Charlie in the morning, they were both with her in her bed this morning, she is loving every minute with her boys!

So, tomorrow is the day, the Pre-Sale of the book will start tomorrow!

The fist emails will go to the folks registered in the blog, and after we will update the website and Facebook will be notified of the pre-sale, Charlie and I are so excited to start the book sales, just to be clear, tomorrow is the pre-sale, you will not receive the book until September, but there will be an incentive to purchase it during the pre-sale.

This is a work of love, many hours of painful memories, revisiting difficult moments, and so many blessings and miracles received during this journey so far, we hope this book will reach far and wide, inspiring many more people, Charlie’s survival is a miracle and We know that God has a plan and we he will show us the best way to follow his plan.

We are so grateful for your support, I choose to start the pre-sale to coincide with Charlie’s Birthday and the publishing will be on September 10th, 2022. The first anniversary of her accident, you can be sure that we will have a big event and you are all invited!

Thank you and have a good night.

Please continue to pray for our family!

André

Day 267 | JUNE 04, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 267 of our new and amazing life!

Saturday the day for morning cartoons is now also the day to sleep in a little.

I was up at my usual time, but I didn’t come down until 8:30am. London had been watching Cartoons in our bed.

The boys and I had our breakfast and Charlie joined us a little later. Today Charlie asked for Cereal, it had been a while since she enjoyed one of her favorite breakfast foods.

We decided to start Charlie’s birthday celebration today . It was our first outing as a family (minus Julien and Vovó) they stayed back and we also didn't have enough seats on our minivan for all of us to ride together, but we made it work.

Today’s itinerary included lunch at the Dairy Market and a trip to Target (Charlie’s request).

We had a fantastic lunch, the awesome part of eating at a food hall, each person can have their choice of food, so London chooses a slice of cheese pizza, Charlie chose a Cubano Sandwich, and my choice was the best of all , a Arepa Sandwich called Buenos Aires, Yucca fries, Arepa Cheese balls, and it was delicious!! And to end, Ice cream at Moo Thru!

I highly recommend a trip to the Dairy Market in Charlottesville.

Today’s lunch had a very special meaning, not only was it the first time that We went out as a family, but also was the first meal we shared outside of our house in Charlottesville!

I have no words to describe how much joy and gratitude I felt during our lunch! God is so amazing by providing us with this second chance at life! Thank you, God!

After our amazing lunch, we made our way to target, Charlie wanted to buy some clothes for London, and also a game for us to play as a family, and some other small items, this was also the first time Charlie went into a store since the accident, I can only imagine how strange this was for Charlie, prior to the accident, She really enjoyed her trips to Target, today I felt like she was having to re learn how to shop, even though the store was very accessible, she still had certain limitations when reaching or accessing certain items on the store, but she had a good time and found almost everything she was looking for.

One thing that we noticed today was how accessible the Dairy Market and Target are. Well done guys!

Today was also the first time, Charlie came across some of you, she was very happy to see people coming to her, but she is also getting used to it, so if you see us out and about, please come by and say hello, just be a little more patient with Charlie, since this is all new for her.

We were out for almost 5 hours, and that was enough to make Charlie exhausted. She gets very tired and also with a lot of pain from sitting on her chair for so long, her open wounds on her buttocks are really painful.

We ended our day by eating dinner together in her room, and we also had a great conversation, just so much going on right now, it is not easy to process all at once, we just want to say thank you!

We are so grateful for all your love, prayers and support!!

And get ready, the book pre-sale will start soon! Keep an eye on your emails if you are registered on our blog, and if you are not, what are you waiting for! Still time to be one of the first to be notified of the pre-sale and secure a very special gift!

Have a good night and May God Bless you!

André

Day 266, June 03, 2022

Good evening, Friends, today is day 266 of our new and amazing life!

Today was better than yesterday.

This morning I was up at my new usual time, 6:40am. After a nice hot/ cold shower, I was ready to seize the day!

Even though London is on break from school, we are keeping the same wake up time at 7:30am, by 7:45am I was having breakfast with the boys, and around 8:20a Charlie joined us, we have managed to raise our dining table, so Charlie can now seat at the dining table with us.

Today Charlie made the effort to be outside with the boys, during play time! She was beyond happy! And even raced London on his bike, and her in her chair up the road, man I wish I had a picture of that amazing moment!! London was so happy to see how fast mommy's chair could move!

The weather really cooperated with her time outside today!

After Lunch, we went to her second PT appointment at UVA, and Charlie did a fantastic Job today!

She tried on a new type of walker, and she walked almost 410 feet on it! Not a new record, but very impressive being the first time in that kind of equipment!

Charlie is remarkably strong, and with incredible balance, she continues to make progress!

After her appointment, we made it home, just in time for her to have her wound care and shower, the whole process does take three and half hours! Charlie remains graceful while in a lot of pain.

After the exhausting wound care, Charlie was too tired to get back in her Chair, she just stayed in bed and tried to get some pressure out of her buttocks.

But she made the best out of her situation and London got an invitation to watch a movie with mommy in bed , he was beyond happy! So, they both had a great time watching a movie in bed on her iPad!

I absolutely love and admire Charlie's ability to turn a negative situation into a positive one!

I have been working hard in getting the website and links ready for the book pre-sale on Monday!

But some very lucky folks, somehow during the tests, signed up for the book pre-sale and received our awesome surprise gift! I really hope you enjoyed it!

Today something happened to me for the first time in person, it has happened Often via Facebook and messages, when I arrived at the UVA PT location, I unloaded Charlie and her aid, and I went to park the car, on my way in, this very kind women, said to me, Sir, can you please come here, At first I thought she asked what I was doing there, so I replied, Oh I am here with my wife, Charlie she just entered, she smiled and said, I just wanted to say thy I saw your story on the news, and I was beyond moved, by you!

I said, you mean moved by Charlie’s strength? And she said, yes but I was mostly moved by your love towards her. I can tell you are one of the good ones and I know that not many men would be doing what you are doing, well I said, thank you! But I am just doing what I promised on our wedding day, in health and in sickness, we are together and supporting each other, I thanked her and we went our ways.

This interaction got me thinking for a second, what kind of person would abandon their loved ones, when they needed you the most?!

How cruel would that be? I know that I am not doing anything out of the ordinary or special, it is truly effortless to be by my wife’s side, I actually feel privileged to be by her side, so tonight, I will pray for all the families that have been broken apart due to sickness or tragedy, May God comfort them, since it may not be easy to be left when you need help the most!

I am so grateful for my wife! And so grateful for her life!

May God bless you and please continue to pray for us!

Good night.

André

Day 265 | JUNE 02, 2022

Good evening, Friends, Today is day 265 of our new and amazing life.

Today was another early morning, poor baby Julien is teething so bad, but Thank God his fever has almost vanished today!

I was down by 7am, and did a little work (book work), before I had breakfast with London and Charlie, and we left around 9:30am towards Richmond.

Today, Charlie went to see a Pain Management practitioner, and the hour-long ride is very hard on Charlie. Every bump on the road causes discomfort, today for the first time, we got to feel a little bit of the difficulties faced by millions of Americans who are disabled, the issue of accessibility on buildings.

We arrived at the office location, and right there we saw the Handicap parking spots, so I parked, unloaded Charlie, and when I made my way to the front door, I noticed that it had 2 steps, and no ramp!

A little confused, I looked around, and even walked halfway around the building and did not see another entrance, so I told Charlie to wait until I went inside and asked where the accessible entrance was, and to my surprise, it was at the complete opposite side of the building, so Charlie said, you drive around and I will ‘drive” my chair around, so we did.

I went around and parked on the handicap spot on the other side, and when I got out of the car, no sign of Charlie or her aid? Where did they go?

I rush on foot around the building, and there she was tracing all the way back to the original parking spot, getting into the parking lot pavement and “driving” her chair back towards me on the parking lot pavement and not on the sidewalk.

When I asked her what was going on?

She said, look there is this sidewalk around the building, but when it ends, there is no ramp, there is a curb that is almost 6 inches high! I just could not believe it!

Yes, it took us almost 13 minutes to enter a building!!!

We both looked at each other and said, how come we never knew that situations like this could exist? Well, I guess we just found one more cause to add to our Non-profit interests.

I just feel so humbled and blessed to be learning and suffering the challenges that many do endure every day, so I can become more compassionate and an advocate on this issue, because it is not acceptable that we don’t have proper accessibility entries or accommodations.

After the appointment, Charlie was hungry and we decided to stop and grab a bite to eat, Charlie choose mezeh, and we had no issues accessing that restaurant

By chance, as we entered the restaurant, we came across two board members from SAI, and they were so happy to see Charlie, and we end up having a fantastic lunch together, we are so grateful for all the amazing work they do at SAI, and for the care that Charlie received in there, We know that we have made lifelong friends in there.

The ride back was equally long and tiring, but we made it home just before the storm, Thank God! We lost power at our house for about 3.5 hours, I am glad that most of Charlie's equipment has battery backups, and next week we should receive a small backup generator for Charlie's medical devices in case of a prolonged power outage.

Charlie was drained and exhausted when we arrived, she went straight to bed and went to sleep, she was in a lot of pain.

It is becoming clear that her coming home does not mean any return to any level of normalcy, it is a lot of work to go to appointments, and to spend so much time sitting on her chair, her open wounds are very painful.

We are beyond grateful that she is home and for the incredible care she is receiving, but we would be lying if we didn’t say how hard it is!

Today I learned about a very special young woman, her name is Kara and she is only 30 years old, but she has battled cancer for the last 20 years! Yes, that is right, her first brain tumor was at the age of 10!

She is a fighter and has overcome cancer 5 times before, and the time around, she has us!

Can I please ask all of you to join me, and pray for Kara, she is in need of a miracle and we will ask God for one, but only HE knows what is best for Kara, so we will also ask God to comfort her family, and to give them the strength needed to be by Kara's side.

When we think we have it hard, it just takes us to look around, and there is always going to be someone in more need.

Once in a while, let's look around and see who's in need around us.

Kara, I don’t know you, but from what I have heard, you are a lot like Charlie! And I know you will continue to fight the good fight!

May God Bless you!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

André