Bring Gabriel & His Brother to Home & Health

Saudades e Saúde de Gabriel e Sua Familia

*Your contribution goes directly to Gabriel*

Hi all! Verity here, I'm writing on behalf of Gabriel and his family, and there’s a long but important and worthwhile read ahead. ⚠ Trigger Warning (TW) // abuse and mistreatment of family briefly mentioned.

Gabriel is a full-time creative, and he hasn't been home in almost 3 years, since February 2022, so I'm organizing this fundraiser in part to help get him home for his Deviated Septum Surgery and to see family (his mom and two brothers), and in part to get his brother Artur home.

I didn't go into detail about his brother when announcing this GoFundMe in Monday’s Zouk class because Gabriel's a very private person when it comes to his personal life, and I hadn't gotten the okay from him prior to sharing details. This is also something Gabriel wouldn't ask aid for on his own. It's harder for some of us to ask for financial support when we feel we should (yep, I used the "s" word) be able to do it wholly on our own.

Being a full-time artist means he doesn't have PTO or other benefits that often come with having a traditional 9-5 job. Health-wise, he’s been in need of a Deviated Septum Surgery for years. Family-wise, they’ve been going through a deeply emotional time and need urgent support, specifically relating to his brother, Artur.

You may or may not've heard that Gabriel's Birthday is coming up on Wednesday, September 25th (that's tomorrow! or maybe has passed by the time you're seeing this). You also may know that he's a full-time Brazilian Zouk dancer, instructor, artist based in Iowa, and has been deeply committed to sharing his culture and heritage with his students; he is passionate about sharing the beauty and depth of Brazilian Zouk with others, and loves being able to bring a piece of his culture to his classes. We now have the chance to give back in a really, really significant way.

Health-wise, Gabriel has been in need of a Deviated Septum Surgery for years. The health insurance he has in Brazil doesn't cover this surgery, which will help him have more energy and a better quality of life in several ways:

Last night, after writing the first draft of this GoFundMe, I asked Gabriel to let me know if there were any edits. There were a couple minor ones, and I got clarity that the brother he was asking support for was his youngest brother, Artur. The amount he'd originally asked for was $1,000 for two months support. Because his brother was part of this fundraiser, I wanted to add a photo of him. I remembered that Gabriel had sent me one when he was home visiting, but couldn't find it.

We both sat down and started searching through our messages. I hear sniffling and I look up to see tears streaming down his face and undeniable heartbreak moving through his body as he’s looking through photos and thinking of his brother. I gave him a hug, and my heart broke with his; as I'm writing this I'm reliving that moment through quiet tears. My instinct said (nay, more like screamed at me) to ask Gabriel to let me write more about his brother’s situation and ask him to let me help get his brother home. His pride almost stood in the way, but he gave the go-ahead. And now I’m asking you - please help us bring his brother home.

Gabriel's youngest brother, Artur, is autistic and also has some mental health issues, including schizophrenia. Gabriel's mom was taking care of him at home, but in the past year it was necessary to bring him into an assisted living clinic. (TW//abuse) At the first clinic Artur was being abused and mistreated. Gabriel hopes the new clinic is better, but pictures indicate Artur is still not himself.

Photo 1. Artur, drinking fresh coconut water by the pool before clinic care.

Photo 2. Artur at the first clinic.

Let’s Get Him Home

To bring him home, Artur will need 24/7 in-home care; this will cost Gabriel and his family R$5,000 (or $1,000) per month. It’s hard to put into words the feeling of helplessness of not being able to help a loved one in need, especially if that loved one has a disability, mental health issues, etc. Today, on behalf of Gabriel and his family, I'm asking for support of $12,000 to help them buy 12-months of time for Artur to be home, safe, sound, healthier, and surrounded by loved ones while they figure out a plan to financially sustain in-home care for the rest of Artur's life.

Your contribution today will directly cover:

Our goal is $21,700.

Your contribution here goes directly to Gabriel. Extra ways you can financially support Gabriel and his family:

Join us in giving possibly one of the greatest, most meaningful and impactful Birthday gifts Gabriel (and his family) could ask for: getting him and his brother Artur home, and both healthier with a better quality of life. Thank you in advance for your contributions, and please share.

Every bit counts ❤

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Breaking down "Saudades e Saúde de Gabriel e Sua Familia"...

Tô com saudades.

(sow-dah-gee-s)

"I miss you" as a phrase, or "desiderium" as a word are close translations, but the feeling behind "saudade(s)" is much deeper than any word or phrase in English can really convey.

Saúde

(sah-oo-gee)

Health.

Sua Familia

His family.

More about Gabriel...

15 years ago with Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and quickly fell in love with tango and studied at one of the best schools in Rio de Janeiro. Soon he was introduced to Brazilian Zouk, which fully captured his heart, and he had the opportunity to learn from Renata Peçanha, one of the founders of this beautiful art form, at her school in Rio.

(Did you know? Gabriel used to be a lawyer, but he quit to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time Brazilian Zouk artist.)

Since 2019, Gabriel has been professionally teaching and sharing his love of dance with others across the Midwest and beyond. He teaches in Iowa City, and travels weekly throughout the Midwest to also teach classes in Des Moines, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Chicago. Gabriel has also started teaching nationally from DC to San Francisco and everywhere in between. Let’s come together to get him from the Midwest and home to Brazil! Donate today

Written by Verity Rose (from the heart, no ChatGPT used).