My beautiful mother Veridiana was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer and early onset Alzheimer’s three years ago at the young age of 50. Although I saw signs of this years ago, I didn’t imagine it would happen so soon and so quickly. Nothing could have prepared us for what has been.

It’s been very hard. My mother was so full of joy, even at her lowest she’d smile for every baby and dance to any song. She always smelled of pretty lotions and had her nails done, and the house was always spotless (my dust allergy was a big concern for her.) For nearly 17 years she ran a daycare and made rice and beans for her kids everyday, and she’d decorate every birthday with homemade Brazilian candies.

My sister, my dad, and I have been splitting the responsibilities, but it’s become increasingly difficult. Even simple tasks like using the bathroom require a lot of assistance. There are moments where her nature emerges, like when she sees a baby, or when I play a song she loves, but it’s a terrible disease.

My sister has three kids, my dad has a full time job, and I have some sense of normalcy I try to uphold, but her care is round the clock, and the grief is too.

My dad does the most to spare us, but it is a heavy load to carry. There is not a moment he is out of work that he is not in some way caring for her. He still tries to take her to get her hair and nails done every week, to maintain some sense of her personhood.

My parents finally got US documents at the end of 2024, finally making them eligible for some government assistance. All her care so far has been without insurance. We’re looking into what support is available, but it’s not moving as fast as her disease is progressing. My dad can retire in 2 years, but we need help now.

It’s been really hard. Really, really, really hard. More than any poetic string of words could convey, more than I would want to expose here.

It’s hard to show oneself like this, to reveal such a personal and vulnerable moment of my mother's life like this, but if it means more comfort for my parents through this difficult time, then it’s worth it.

I had the privilege of bringing them to Brazil for the first time in 24 years in January, a return she dreamt of for so long, and she didn't recognize her family. So now we're returning to the US, and I just want to make things easier for her.

Any amount is deeply appreciated. Any amount means we can worry a little bit less, and care for her a little bit more easily. It will all go towards her livelihood.

Thank you so much,

Vinicius