🔴 ABOUT ME

Although I always saw everything related to art as a passion, I opted to study Public Accounting / Economics at the university, being then professionally an Accountant / Economist. A 5-year university career in Venezuela.

I never stopped drawing, and ideate things, I did my first oil paintings at 11 years old (first and only until many years later); to draw, over time it was more and more sporadically, making a drawing every 4 to 5 years only for a long time, and despite not practicing or drawing continuously, I enjoyed it more and more, and they came out better.

As for my health, I never had a serious health problem in my childhood, but I did continually go to the hospital for regular consultations or to the emergency room, suffering from kidney stones since I was 4 years old, and suffering from attacks of renal colic constantly; throughout my childhood having to visit hospitals.

Around the year 2003 I started with some severe headaches, and after a series of tests I was diagnosed with "migraine" and I started taking medication to calm the moments of headaches. Then around the year 2011, I started with a different headache than the one that started in 2003, this time it was a pain that never went away, that stayed there 24/7, from when I woke up in the morning until I went to sleep at night, sometimes a much stronger pain, sometimes not so strong, but ultimately always there.

After many exams, many hospitals and clinics, many different specialists and doctors, and many different types of treatments (some even quite strong to the point of being difficult to get out of bed); after all, although problems were found in my health (such as a problem in the jaw/maxilla that got stuck and could not open, being an inherited genetic deformity known as "TMJ Dysfunction"; needing 2 years of treatments for a relatively normal state), no test or diagnosis could explain or improve those permanent 24/7 headaches.

In 2016, I left Venezuela with one of my brothers (not in the best conditions), to Portugal, specifically Madeira, where I continue to live today.

After 3 months in Madeira (Portugal), looking for a job with my brother, and after dealing with a progressive deterioration of health, during those 3 months, I was admitted to the hospital from the emergency, where I could not move, losing strength in the whole body, being worse from the bottom up (the lower the area of the body, the worse the condition; not being able to move fingers, feet, and legs, and not feeling anything except sharp pain).

Afterward 6 months hospitalized, a lot of effort, work and willpower, I had a "quick" and unexpected improvement, due to the condition I arrived in (according to the opinions of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff), after a lot of rehabilitation and subsequent physiotherapy and occupational therapy in the hospital to recover both the strength and sensitivity of the whole body, learn to walk again, and regain motor skills, strength and sensitivity of the hands and fingers... After needing help to do everything, for example, getting dressed and even getting out of bed into a wheelchair; after being able to walk with a walker; and finally after being able to walk with crutches by myself, and being able to fend for myself in basic needs, I was discharged from the hospital. To later start a second stage of physiotherapy and occupational therapy that would last 2 more years, improving constantly and rapidly, until no more improvement was recorded. Taking about 4 years to stop using crutches on the street and walk on my own.

According to my main doctor and everyone involved, from the condition I arrived in, few if any people have such a great improvement, in such a short time; and although my current condition still has many physical limitations, and is not at all the conditions of someone in good physical health, probably for me, it is the limit of improvement. But despite all that, and still continue with the same headaches that I had since 2011, 24/7... I continue daily trying to have the same positive mindset and focus since the beginning of this process that began in 2016, that I can still get better, even if all the probabilities say not.

To finish talking about my health, I would like to give a special thanks to the people in my family who were and continue to support me in any way they can. And a greeting and thanks just as special to all the staff of the Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, to all the nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, maintenance staff, assistants, auxiliaries and cleaners. In the same way to the staff of the Santa Cruz Health Center, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, assistants, and everyone who collaborated with me at some point.

To Mrs. Virginia, Mr. Duarte and his daughter Filipa. Andreia from the Polo de Emprego de Santa Cruz and Delia from Social Security. Not forgetting either those 2 ladies from the Centro de Saúde de Urgência de Machico, both called Maria, who were especially kind to my brother and me (if you ever read this, maybe you'll remember those 2 irmãos fraquinhos [my brother with a little Afro and me with long hair and long beard]) … Also the Lady of the red car (unfortunately I don't remember her name very well) who saw us walking from Funchal to Santa Cruz.

Making a Special Mention to the staff of the 7th Andar, Letícia, Diva, Clementina, Denise, Isa, Diana, Sonia, Paula, Ana, Clara, Isabel, Angels, Diogo, Mariana, Rosa, Fabiana, Maria, Lília, Vera, Mafalda (and many more, you know who you are, I tried to give everyone a flower or a leaf 🌺🌸🏵️🍂🌿, although I couldn't all) from the Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, and my main doctor Dr. Orlando who was always with me from start to finish (without him I couldn't have achieved what I did); always grateful to those who gave me extra support, extra good energy and good vibes, in those most crucial and critical moments... Last but not least, to the people who were not part of the hospital, but were still there for short or long periods; who also provided attention, a smile, good feelings and good vibes; those other interns/hospitalized patients and their relatives, in this regard a special greeting and much love to the Correia Family, Pedro, Luz, Cláudia, Liliana and her boyfriend Ricardo.