Saving Carmelo's Home
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My husband, Carmelo Diaz, has been a patient with "Lou Gehrig's Disease" for 25 years. I'm his wife, Berenice Padilla, and I'm writing this to ask for help in saving our home.
Let me tell you a little bit about our life, so you can better understand our situation. For all these years, we have been hard working people trying to make our way while continuing to be survivors of this degenerative disease. Carmelo completely depends on me to take care of him as he has lost all of his motor functions except his lips and his eyes. He uses these to communicate with his kids and I. Remarkably, his mental capacities remain completely intact.
Carmelo and I met at Vizcarrondo Coronado High School in Carolina Puerto Rico where we both studied three years in the same classrooms. We fell in love and in the fourth year we got engaged. We then graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, where in addition to getting our careers in order, we learned the sport of tennis which became one of the passions of our lives. We were both part of the University of Puerto Rico tennis teams and enjoyed great athletic careers while at the University. Carmelo, particularly, stood out for his accomplished tennis skills and from 1977-1988 became one of the best amateur level players Puerto Rico had to offer. He proudly represented Puerto Rico in various tournaments including Trinidad, Curazao and Guatemala where he took second place in the mixed doubles tennis with Marta Ariza. He was also named tournament champion twice in single and doubles at the Siboney tournament in Dominican Republic.
In 1982 we got married and had two beautiful children, Steven and Anthony. We were a proud family and were extremely happy to be living out our dreams. I worked as a public school teacher while Carmelo, being well known in the island, taught tennis. Even though he studied accounting, his heart was and still is, with tennis.
In 1987 one of Carmelo's dreams came true when he opened up a small tennis shop in Puerto Rico with his brother, Nelson, called, "Tennis Anyone." These were hard working times as I would get out of school, run to help with the business while Carmelo was off to Dorado to teach tennis until 10 p.m. I would close up shop for him at 5:50 and then go to pick up the children at the nursery. We were dedicated to building our family and the business was starting to thrive.
In October 1988, our dream was shattered when my husband was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as "ALS " or Lou Gehrig's Disease. The doctors gave him a year and a half to live.
We had moments that we wouldn't wish upon anyone, but little by little and with the help of God, we refused to believe the short diagnosis the doctors gave him and were determined to persevere for the sake of our two boys. The only thing we had to count on was our business so we continued to put all our efforts into it.
In 1990, I stopped teaching to be my husbands' full time nurse and work partner in the business he could still mentally direct but no longer physically run. The disease soon ran its course, however, as Carmelo kept losing his motor functions and was eventually confined to a wheelchair. We had to move because we lived in an 8th floor Apt. Complex, a place where the elevators were broken all the time.
Luckily, we found the perfect home where the 1st floor was specially designed for disabled persons. Finally, things were looking up. This is the beautiful, blessed home we live in now.
In 1998, Carmelo's situation worsened and we had to connect him to a mechanical ventilator, as he could no longer breathe on his own. He spent 51 days in the hospital and six long months of recovery at home. My wonderful parents took care of my kids and the business when he was in the hospital and continued to help afterwards. My father, God rest his soul, and mother went to the shop everyday to do what they could to help out.
After that, life was not easy but Carmelo and I had no choice but to keep going for our kids. We took it day by day until the economic depression combined with Carmelo's emotional health and my own physical problems (lifting, nursing him and taking care of the store) forced us to close the shop in 2011. Needless to say, the store was our lifeline. We were devastated.
That's why I am humbly asking for your help. I feel if we lose our home, Carmelo will lose all hope. We need $185,000 dollars to save our home. Please help us.
You can also help by sending this to all your friends.
Help us to save our home and God bless you and yours, always.
Thanks
Carmelo and Bere
SPANISH VERSION
Carmelo DÃaz, paciente con "Lou Gehrigs Disease" por 25 años, y su esposa Berenice Padilla piden ayuda para salvar su hogar.
Déjame contarte en breves palabras nuestra vida, para que puedas entender nuestra situación, pues hemos sido durante todos estos tiempos personas trabajadoras y luchadoras aun viviendo y luchando con esta enfermedad que es una condición degenerativa. La persona que padece de esta condición va perdiendo sus funciones motoras hasta depender completamente de otra persona hasta para hablar ya que tengo que leerle los labios, pero sus capacidades mentales se mantienen intactas.
Carmelo y yo nos conocimos en la Escuela Superior Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado en Carolina, estudiamos los tres años en los mismos salones y en cuarto año nos hicimos novios, luego nos graduamos en la UPR de Rio Piedras, donde además de obtener nuestras carreras universitarias, aprendimos el deporte del tenis lo cual ha sido muy importante en nuestras vidas. Formamos parte de los equipos de tenis de la UPR siendo atletas destacados varias veces. Carmelo se destaco tanto en el tenis por sus grandes habilidades que llego a ser unos de los mejores tenistas a nivel aficionado entre los años 1977-1988 y llego a representar a P.R. en varios torneos como en Trinidad, Curazao y Guatemala donde quedo en segundo lugar en dobles mixtos junto a la tenista Marta Ariza. También en la Republica Dominicana donde se proclamo campeón del Torneo Siboney en dos ocasiones en sencillo y una en dobles con el Lic. Rafy Moran.
En 1982 nos casamos y tuvimos dos preciosos hijos, Steven y Anthony. Éramos una familia inmensamente feliz y estábamos viviendo nuestros sueños. Yo trabajaba de maestra en la escuela pública y Carmelo daba clases de tenis ya que el amaba y sigue amando este deporte, y nunca se dedico a la contabilidad que habÃa estudiado. En 1987 monto un negocio con su hermano Nelson, Tennis Anyone, al año el hermano se quito del negocio y seguimos corriéndolo nosotros, cuando yo salÃa de la escuela iba para el negocio y Carmelo se iba para Dorado a dar clases hasta las 10:00 pm y yo trataba de cerrar el negocio a las 5:50 para ir a recoger a nuestros pequeños al nursery donde los cuidaban y asi seguÃa nuestro dÃa, fuerte pero éramos muy felices.
En octubre de 1988 nuestro sueños rosado se convirtió en uno gris e incierto cuando a mi esposo le diagnosticaron esa bendita enfermedad llamada Esclerosis Amiotrofica Lateral conocida por sus siglas en ingles "ALS" Lou Gehrigs Disease, dándole un año y medio de vida. Tuvimos momentos que no se los deseamos a nadie en la vida, pero poco a poco con la ayuda de Dios nos reconfortamos y alejamos ese pensamiento de esa corta vida diagnosticada por los médicos y pensábamos y aun decimos que solo Dios sabe cuando partimos de este mundo, no importa cuán fuerte y difÃcil sea, pues tenÃamos que sacar hacia adelante a nuestros dos hijos que apenas tenÃan 1 y 2 años. Por lo tanto seguimos dÃa a dÃa con los acontecimientos de la vida. En 1990 tuve dejar de trabajar para quedarme con él en el negocio pues la enfermedad seguÃa su curso y él seguÃa perdiendo sus funciones motoras, después de un tiempo cuando ya no podÃa mas tuvo que empezar a usar silla de ruedas y tuvimos que mudarnos pues vivÃamos en un 8vo piso y se dañaban mucho los elevadores. Compramos en un complejo de apartamentos donde el 1er piso estaba preparado para personas impedidas que es donde vivimos actualmente. En 1998 se agrava la situación y hubo que conectarlo a un ventilador, ya que no podÃa respirar por sà mismo. Luego de 51 dÃas en el hospital y seis largos meses de recuperación en el hogar, mientras mis padres se hacÃan cargo de mis hijos y el negocio, (mi padre que en paz descanse), regresamos a trabajar dÃa a dÃa aunque era más difÃcil aun pues ya no era tan solo la silla de rueda, pues tenÃa que estar conectado al ventilador 24/7 y leer sus labios pues no podÃa hablar. Seguimos con esta lucha hasta octubre del 2011 que tuvimos que cerrar el negocio por varias razones, entre ellas los estragos causados por los avances tecnológicos, la decadencia económica y por condiciones de salud de ambos. Como comprenderán tenemos muchas necesidades al perder nuestra fuente de ingresos. Lo que más nos preocupa todos los meses es con que pagar el apartamento donde vivimos y por tal motivo es que les pedimos ayuda a todos ustedes, no importa cuán pequeña sea su aportación, para que nuestra vida tenga un color rosa, no importa su tonalidad, pero que no sea gris.
Puedes ayudarnos también enviando esto a todos tus amigos.
Ayúdanos a salvar nuestro hogar y que Dios los bendiga siempre.
Gracias
Carmelo y Bere
My husband, Carmelo Diaz, has been a patient with "Lou Gehrig's Disease" for 25 years. I'm his wife, Berenice Padilla, and I'm writing this to ask for help in saving our home.
Let me tell you a little bit about our life, so you can better understand our situation. For all these years, we have been hard working people trying to make our way while continuing to be survivors of this degenerative disease. Carmelo completely depends on me to take care of him as he has lost all of his motor functions except his lips and his eyes. He uses these to communicate with his kids and I. Remarkably, his mental capacities remain completely intact.
Carmelo and I met at Vizcarrondo Coronado High School in Carolina Puerto Rico where we both studied three years in the same classrooms. We fell in love and in the fourth year we got engaged. We then graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, where in addition to getting our careers in order, we learned the sport of tennis which became one of the passions of our lives. We were both part of the University of Puerto Rico tennis teams and enjoyed great athletic careers while at the University. Carmelo, particularly, stood out for his accomplished tennis skills and from 1977-1988 became one of the best amateur level players Puerto Rico had to offer. He proudly represented Puerto Rico in various tournaments including Trinidad, Curazao and Guatemala where he took second place in the mixed doubles tennis with Marta Ariza. He was also named tournament champion twice in single and doubles at the Siboney tournament in Dominican Republic.
In 1982 we got married and had two beautiful children, Steven and Anthony. We were a proud family and were extremely happy to be living out our dreams. I worked as a public school teacher while Carmelo, being well known in the island, taught tennis. Even though he studied accounting, his heart was and still is, with tennis.
In 1987 one of Carmelo's dreams came true when he opened up a small tennis shop in Puerto Rico with his brother, Nelson, called, "Tennis Anyone." These were hard working times as I would get out of school, run to help with the business while Carmelo was off to Dorado to teach tennis until 10 p.m. I would close up shop for him at 5:50 and then go to pick up the children at the nursery. We were dedicated to building our family and the business was starting to thrive.
In October 1988, our dream was shattered when my husband was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as "ALS " or Lou Gehrig's Disease. The doctors gave him a year and a half to live.
We had moments that we wouldn't wish upon anyone, but little by little and with the help of God, we refused to believe the short diagnosis the doctors gave him and were determined to persevere for the sake of our two boys. The only thing we had to count on was our business so we continued to put all our efforts into it.
In 1990, I stopped teaching to be my husbands' full time nurse and work partner in the business he could still mentally direct but no longer physically run. The disease soon ran its course, however, as Carmelo kept losing his motor functions and was eventually confined to a wheelchair. We had to move because we lived in an 8th floor Apt. Complex, a place where the elevators were broken all the time.
Luckily, we found the perfect home where the 1st floor was specially designed for disabled persons. Finally, things were looking up. This is the beautiful, blessed home we live in now.
In 1998, Carmelo's situation worsened and we had to connect him to a mechanical ventilator, as he could no longer breathe on his own. He spent 51 days in the hospital and six long months of recovery at home. My wonderful parents took care of my kids and the business when he was in the hospital and continued to help afterwards. My father, God rest his soul, and mother went to the shop everyday to do what they could to help out.
After that, life was not easy but Carmelo and I had no choice but to keep going for our kids. We took it day by day until the economic depression combined with Carmelo's emotional health and my own physical problems (lifting, nursing him and taking care of the store) forced us to close the shop in 2011. Needless to say, the store was our lifeline. We were devastated.
That's why I am humbly asking for your help. I feel if we lose our home, Carmelo will lose all hope. We need $185,000 dollars to save our home. Please help us.
You can also help by sending this to all your friends.
Help us to save our home and God bless you and yours, always.
Thanks
Carmelo and Bere
SPANISH VERSION
Carmelo DÃaz, paciente con "Lou Gehrigs Disease" por 25 años, y su esposa Berenice Padilla piden ayuda para salvar su hogar.
Déjame contarte en breves palabras nuestra vida, para que puedas entender nuestra situación, pues hemos sido durante todos estos tiempos personas trabajadoras y luchadoras aun viviendo y luchando con esta enfermedad que es una condición degenerativa. La persona que padece de esta condición va perdiendo sus funciones motoras hasta depender completamente de otra persona hasta para hablar ya que tengo que leerle los labios, pero sus capacidades mentales se mantienen intactas.
Carmelo y yo nos conocimos en la Escuela Superior Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado en Carolina, estudiamos los tres años en los mismos salones y en cuarto año nos hicimos novios, luego nos graduamos en la UPR de Rio Piedras, donde además de obtener nuestras carreras universitarias, aprendimos el deporte del tenis lo cual ha sido muy importante en nuestras vidas. Formamos parte de los equipos de tenis de la UPR siendo atletas destacados varias veces. Carmelo se destaco tanto en el tenis por sus grandes habilidades que llego a ser unos de los mejores tenistas a nivel aficionado entre los años 1977-1988 y llego a representar a P.R. en varios torneos como en Trinidad, Curazao y Guatemala donde quedo en segundo lugar en dobles mixtos junto a la tenista Marta Ariza. También en la Republica Dominicana donde se proclamo campeón del Torneo Siboney en dos ocasiones en sencillo y una en dobles con el Lic. Rafy Moran.
En 1982 nos casamos y tuvimos dos preciosos hijos, Steven y Anthony. Éramos una familia inmensamente feliz y estábamos viviendo nuestros sueños. Yo trabajaba de maestra en la escuela pública y Carmelo daba clases de tenis ya que el amaba y sigue amando este deporte, y nunca se dedico a la contabilidad que habÃa estudiado. En 1987 monto un negocio con su hermano Nelson, Tennis Anyone, al año el hermano se quito del negocio y seguimos corriéndolo nosotros, cuando yo salÃa de la escuela iba para el negocio y Carmelo se iba para Dorado a dar clases hasta las 10:00 pm y yo trataba de cerrar el negocio a las 5:50 para ir a recoger a nuestros pequeños al nursery donde los cuidaban y asi seguÃa nuestro dÃa, fuerte pero éramos muy felices.
En octubre de 1988 nuestro sueños rosado se convirtió en uno gris e incierto cuando a mi esposo le diagnosticaron esa bendita enfermedad llamada Esclerosis Amiotrofica Lateral conocida por sus siglas en ingles "ALS" Lou Gehrigs Disease, dándole un año y medio de vida. Tuvimos momentos que no se los deseamos a nadie en la vida, pero poco a poco con la ayuda de Dios nos reconfortamos y alejamos ese pensamiento de esa corta vida diagnosticada por los médicos y pensábamos y aun decimos que solo Dios sabe cuando partimos de este mundo, no importa cuán fuerte y difÃcil sea, pues tenÃamos que sacar hacia adelante a nuestros dos hijos que apenas tenÃan 1 y 2 años. Por lo tanto seguimos dÃa a dÃa con los acontecimientos de la vida. En 1990 tuve dejar de trabajar para quedarme con él en el negocio pues la enfermedad seguÃa su curso y él seguÃa perdiendo sus funciones motoras, después de un tiempo cuando ya no podÃa mas tuvo que empezar a usar silla de ruedas y tuvimos que mudarnos pues vivÃamos en un 8vo piso y se dañaban mucho los elevadores. Compramos en un complejo de apartamentos donde el 1er piso estaba preparado para personas impedidas que es donde vivimos actualmente. En 1998 se agrava la situación y hubo que conectarlo a un ventilador, ya que no podÃa respirar por sà mismo. Luego de 51 dÃas en el hospital y seis largos meses de recuperación en el hogar, mientras mis padres se hacÃan cargo de mis hijos y el negocio, (mi padre que en paz descanse), regresamos a trabajar dÃa a dÃa aunque era más difÃcil aun pues ya no era tan solo la silla de rueda, pues tenÃa que estar conectado al ventilador 24/7 y leer sus labios pues no podÃa hablar. Seguimos con esta lucha hasta octubre del 2011 que tuvimos que cerrar el negocio por varias razones, entre ellas los estragos causados por los avances tecnológicos, la decadencia económica y por condiciones de salud de ambos. Como comprenderán tenemos muchas necesidades al perder nuestra fuente de ingresos. Lo que más nos preocupa todos los meses es con que pagar el apartamento donde vivimos y por tal motivo es que les pedimos ayuda a todos ustedes, no importa cuán pequeña sea su aportación, para que nuestra vida tenga un color rosa, no importa su tonalidad, pero que no sea gris.
Puedes ayudarnos también enviando esto a todos tus amigos.
Ayúdanos a salvar nuestro hogar y que Dios los bendiga siempre.
Gracias
Carmelo y Bere
Organizer
Bere Padilla
Organizer
Río Piedras, PR
