My father Eduardo was a loving, funny, gentle husband, father and grandfather. He knew how to light up a room. There has not been a life in which he hasn’t made a difference in, if he had ever met them. He was misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in December 2012. My dad was in and out of the hospital numerous times due to pneumonia which he was able to fight off the first time, after weeks of being intubated and doctors telling our family he wasn’t going to make it. At his request, we declined a tracheotomy and GI tube. God allowed him to breath on his own. God heard our prayers and let us have more time to enjoy his presence here on earth.
Through these tough times, my dad set the standard for facing death with grace and courage. He insisted on living a meaningful life even when he could no longer walk, or talk. He never stopped loving and caring for those who were so close to him and was admired, loved and respected by those who knew him. Even though he had been sick for years, he kept a positive attitude and never complained. He maintained his faith in God and he left his life in our loving Father’s hands.
In May 2015, my dad was hospitalized due to aspiration pneumonia. Again, the doctors didn’t give us much hope even if we agreed on getting a tracheotomy, due to his very weakened state. Due to respiratory failure and other MSA complications, my dad was called to be with the Lord on May 24, 2015, at the young age of 62. His death came very sudden but we now know that he is in a better place where his soul is resting in Paradise. He left behind my mother, his wife of 38 years, Raquel, my two brothers George and Fidel, and his two grandchildren who adored him, Romel and Madeleine. Our family will never be the same without my dad here, but we are at peace knowing that he is no longer fighting and living with MSA. And now, we have a guardian angel with us everywhere we go!
