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The cure for love
Learn the story of José Rogério, 37, married to Lívia, the father of Maria Letícia, Heloíza, Júlia, and Maria Sofia, the right-hand man of his daughter Júlia, at the age of 4, in a battle against leukemia and an electrician from NeoEnergia Pernambuco.
“I would lay down my life for my daughter.” The statement made by José Rogério Ferreira, 37, brings with it a story of a tireless struggle: the struggle for life. In July 2010, when he was working as an electrician for a partner company of Neoenergia Pernambuco, unexpected news broke Rogério and his family's ground. In a routine pediatric exam, Júlia, one of her four daughters, only 6 years old at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. From then on, it was a long three years of dedication and hope, which reserved valuable learning. “That was definitely a game-changer for me. Today, I see that there is nothing difficult, there is no reason to complain about life, nothing else takes me out of control. Difficult was what I went through, what my family went through. And we overcame, got sick, and healed together with my daughter,” she says.
The feeling of despair was the parents' first reaction after the tests were repeated and the illness was confirmed. They needed a supernatural force to start the first of the many battles that would lie ahead. “My life changed completely. I started to live because of my daughter”. This was the case for the next three years, the treatment period. The chemotherapy sessions were weekly, complemented by a daily cocktail of various medicines and many restrictions. “I went through all the chemos, supporting Julinha and her mother, even though they were already separated at the time; I didn't miss a single day,” she recalls.
The feeling of despair was the parents' first reaction after the tests were repeated and the illness was confirmed. They needed a supernatural force to start the first of the many battles that would lie ahead. “My life changed completely. I started to live because of my daughter”. This was the case for the next three years, the treatment period. The chemotherapy sessions were weekly, complemented by a daily cocktail of various medicines and many restrictions. “I went through all the chemos, supporting Julinha and her mother, even though they were already separated at the time; I didn't miss a single day,” she recalls.
Little Júlia's recovery had ups and downs, in a period that seemed like an eternity for José Rogério, who experienced phase by phase, minute by minute, celebrating every sign of improvement. The most difficult period was when she was hospitalized for almost a month in the ICU already in the final phase of treatment, with bleeding and impaired immunity. “After leaving work, during the 28 days that Júlia was in the ICU, I slept inside the car in front of the hospital, because I felt like I needed to be close to her,” she recalls. To remain firm and with hope alive, he could count on faith. “I clung to God, prayed, and made a vow: I would never consume alcohol again in my life if my daughter were cured. And today I know that faith moves mountains.”
In November 2013, José Rogério took Júlia to the last chemotherapy session; two months later, she received the long-awaited and well-deserved news that the little warrior was cured, which brought the electrician a new meaning to life. “I learned that it is necessary to value each day, to live in the present, to be thankful for what we have. Because life is very fragile and unpredictable, difficulties can happen to anyone. We need to be more human, to put ourselves in the place of others, to be humble, to respect all people, regardless of hierarchy”. Life lessons are many, which can be summarized in one: “Do you know what moves me? Love, shown every day at home, at work, and with my neighbors”, concludes the electrician.
José Rogério is the father of Maria Letícia (18), Heloíza Cristina (17), Júlia Souto (12) and Maria Sofia (4). He has been married to Lívia Moraes for 4 years.
*Photo credit: Léo Caldas
In November 2013, José Rogério took Júlia to the last chemotherapy session; two months later, she received the long-awaited and well-deserved news that the little warrior was cured, which brought the electrician a new meaning to life. “I learned that it is necessary to value each day, to live in the present, to be thankful for what we have. Because life is very fragile and unpredictable, difficulties can happen to anyone. We need to be more human, to put ourselves in the place of others, to be humble, to respect all people, regardless of hierarchy”. Life lessons are many, which can be summarized in one: “Do you know what moves me? Love, shown every day at home, at work, and with my neighbors”, concludes the electrician.
José Rogério is the father of Maria Letícia (18), Heloíza Cristina (17), Júlia Souto (12) and Maria Sofia (4). He has been married to Lívia Moraes for 4 years.
*Photo credit: Léo Caldas