News from Carlos - D+2

(see below for english)

Parece que os dias nao passam. Pelo menos ate agora dessa vez nao tive complicacoes nem febre, o que faz uma diferenca enorme porque praticamente reduz os efeitos a uma quimio normal. Ja eh o comeco da reta de chegada, parece mentira. Dias longos que fico pensando em tanta coisa, fico imaginando e divagando sobre os valores da vida, nossos amigos, familia...Alias tenho pensado e repensado nossa vida e o sentido dela desde que comecou essa luta ha quase dois anos. Imagino nosso futuro, vontade de viver, e vontade de fazer algo pelos outros, ajudar a melhorar o mundo, e ao mesmo tempo sinto uma saudade de curtir as coisas simples da vida. Engracado, fico imaginando aquelas comidas que a gente sente saudade da infancia. Coisas que sempre estao ali, e nao valorizamos. Tambem fico imaginando nos em algum lugar calmo, Bele e Julia podendo descansar e relaxar de verdade. Precisamos tanto de um descanso. Estou como o naufrago que comeca a ver a costa. Deus queira que seja, mas ainda falta um bom trecho e sigo firme.

Beijos,
Carlos

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It seems that days are not passing at all. But at least this time, I didn't have any complication like fever, which makes a big difference because it decreases the side effects to the ones of a regular chemo. This is the final straight, it seems untruth. These long days, I think about a lot of things, I keep thinking and dreaming about true life's values, our friends, family... I have been thinking and founding a new meaning for our life since we started this fight almost 2 years ago. I think about our future, my desire to be alive, to do something for the others, to help to make this world a better place, and at the same time, I just miss very little and simple things. Funny, I keep imagining the food that we miss from our childhood. Things that have always been there, but that we not always truly value. I also imagine us in a calm place, where Bele and Julia could rest and really relax. We need that rest so much. I am a castaway who finally start to see the coast. Whatever will be God's will, there is still a long way to go and I remain steady.

Love,
Carlos.

Costa Cruise lunch - thanks for coming!

It is really nice to see people from all over the world getting together to help raise money for Carlos's bone marrow transplant - if you didnt realize it before, I hope you realize now, how much You, Cibele and Julia mean to a lot of us- let us worry about raising money- because you need to be focusing all your energy on your physical health and resilience..you are in good hands... literally....

It is with great pleasure that we announce that HKD 32,700 ($ 4,192 USD) were raised at the Charity Costa Luncheon held this Friday and Saturday. We really could not have done it without the attendance & participation of all our friends & guests and we thank each and everyone of you for coming out and supporting us in this quest to raise even more funds for Carlos. It was a very warm feeling to see everyone enjoying themselves and all for a great cause. We were also happy to extend this day with the many children who joined us. Thank you also to Te, who donated 3 amazing prizes for our Auction and helped raise our funds even more. Thank you also to our friends at Ferregamo, Ferrari, MaxMara, Mandarin Oriental, Grand Hyatt, and Gaia Group as our guests really appreciated and loved their prizes.

While we all had smiling faces that day, please kindly note, that YOU Carlos were in our thoughts and prayers as you embark on this very diffucult journey. We are doing the easy part, now it is up to you to be strong and persevere. We all believe in miracles and moreover BELIEVE,... because WE ALL DO..

We also want to say that apart from the Luncheon, we are also selling Raffle tickets for a 4 night, 5 day cruise in Asia with Costa Cruises. The Brazilian community have really come together and done a great job in selling tickets. Most of the members were able to sell 20 or more tickets to friends and some have even outdone themselves by going door to door... As of to date, we have sold over 80,000 HKD (OVER 10,000 USD) worth of Raffles. Well done guys! May the gift of giving always guide our way, our truth and our lives.

With love & kindness,
Linda Torlöf & Alessandra Salles-Rustico

Click here to see the pictures

News from Carlos - end of chemo

(see below for english)

Antes de mais nada, me desculpem pela falta de noticias, mas os ultimos dias tem sido muito dificeis. Pelo menos a quimio terminou, que era um passo muito importante no processo. Estou agora no hospital aguardando o tao temido transplante, enquanto o Marcelo escreve essas linhas pra mim. Temido pelo efeito que da no corpo e a nausea que causa soh de imaginar ter de repeti-la. Mas pelo menos chegamos no apice de toda essa caminhada, e a partir daqui comeco a minha recuperacao, ainda que va durar por meses. Mas o mais duro tera sido realizado.

Vi o evento de Cingapura no blog, e queria agradecer do fundo do coracao a todas as pessoas envolvidas, parece mentira mas nao ha forma de colocar em palavras minha gratidao por mais esta demonstracao de solidariedade. Queremos ser capazes de um dia retribuir tudo isso de alguma forma.

Beijao pra todos.
Carlos

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Before anything, sorry that I didn't give any news before, but last days have been really tough. At least chemo now is over, which was an important step of the process. I am now at the hospital waiting for the feared transplant, while Marcelo is writing those lines for me. Feared because of the side effect on my body and the nausea that I can't even think about going through again. But at least, we are now at the top of this path, and from now on I will start my recovery, which will last for months. But the most difficult have been done.

I saw the event in Singapore, I would really want to thank all the people who worked for it, it looks unreal and there is no word to say how much grateful I am for one more demonstration of solidarity. We would like to be able to return all this someday, somehow.

Love,
Carlos.

Brazilian Churrasco in Singapore!! Thank you all for coming.

(see below for english)

É muito difícil achar palavras que possam descrever a emoção que foi o churrasco aqui em Cingapura sexta-feira passada. Foi uma noite super especial. Na verdade, acho que temos que começar agradecendo a todas as pessoas que vieram ao churrasco e aquelas que mesmo não estando presentes contribuíram com a nossa causa. Na sexta-feira éramos 71 pessoas que, com exceção de 4 amigos Monica Hall, Valeria, Prashant e eu, não conhecem o Carlos. O tempo todo eu ficava repetindo que é incrível a luz que o Carlos tem. Um luz capaz de acender corações de pessoas que nunca o viram, mas que acreditam em sua luta e hoje carregam a sua historia dentro deles. Tenho certeza que naquela noite, por coincidência, o primeiro dia da segunda fase do tratamento do Carlos, nós tínhamos um canal de luz e energia positiva nos conectando com o Carlos, a Bele e a Julinha nos USA. O astral da festa foi maravilhoso. Todos estavam muito felizes de estarem aqui e ajudando de alguma forma. Ao todo, nos arrecadamos SGD6500 (equivalente a USD 4456, e ainda temos promessas de mais doações) que serão direcionados para o tratamento do Carlos. O total arrecadado é o resultado da venda dos ingressos, varias doações e da rifa de um vídeo game e aulas de Pilatos e personal training.

Bom, agora acho que chegou a hora de agradecermos não só todos os amigos que estiveram aqui conosco, mas aqueles que nos ajudaram de forma mais direta. Nós gostaríamos de agradecer ao Chefe Jair Rodrigues da churrascaria Viva Brasil, que se prontificou a nos ajudar assim que lhe contamos o caso do Carlos. O Jair nos proporcionou um churrasco de primeira a um preço bem camarada, o que nos permitiu arrecadar fundos com a venda dos ingressos. A Valeria Ross que doou um Microsoft Xbox, a Célia Junqueira que dôo 3 aulas individuais de Pilatos e ao Nizar que doou uma aula de personal training. A venda da rifa foi um momento especial, nos divertimos muito vendendo os números e depois torcendo para ganharmos os prêmios.

Gostaria ainda de agradecer os nossos amigos Tiago e Pedro, os meninos foram os “Caipireiros” da noite. Eles prepararam caipirinhas deliciosas, o que contribuiu muito para a alegria da festa! E ainda a Paola e a Deborah que me ajudaram a enrolar os brigadeiros e beijinhos e ainda foram os meus anjos do caixa, e graças a Deus, cuidaram da parte financeira.

Acho que para terminar, vou usar as palavras da nossa amiga Verena, realmente não tem como explicar, só podemos dizer que a “união faz a força”. Carlos e Bele, nós todos estamos juntos com vocês, unidos numa só força. Carlos a sua missão é sair dessa o mais rápido possível, nós queremos ver você retomando a sua Vida normal, junto da sua família linda e curtindo um bom Churrasco aqui com a gente em Cingapura.

Um grande beijo no coração de vocês, Claudia e Prashant Kedia.

Clique aqui para ver as fotos

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It’s very difficult to find words to express our emotion during the BBQ we organized last Friday in Singapore. It was for sure a great night!! I believe we must start by saying thank you to all who came to the BBQ and to those who couldn’t make it, but still contributed to our cause. Last Friday, we had 71 guests. With the exception of 4, Monica Hall, Valeria, Prashant, and I, no one else knows Carlos. During the party I couldn’t get tired of thinking and saying how much light Carlos has. A light capable of touching the heart of people who don’t know him, but believe in his fight and from now on carry Carlos’s history inside them. I am pretty sure that last Friday, for coincidence the first day of the 2nd round of Carlos’s treatment, we had a channel of light and good, positive energy connecting us with Carlos, Bele and Julinha in USA. The energy on the party was fantastic! Everyone was very happy for being able to help in a way. We raised SGD 6500 (equivalent to USD 4456, and still have some pledged) for Carlos treatment.

Now, it’s time to say thank you not only for all the friends who came, but for some few ones who helped us a little bit more directly. First, we would like to thank Chef Jair Rodrigues from churrascaria Viva Brazil, who accepted to help us as soon as we told him about Carlos case. Jair prepared a first class Brazilian Churrasco for us that night at a very affordable price, what helped us to raised funds selling the invitations. Also, we want to say thank you to Valeria Ross who donated a video game (Xbox), to Celia Junqueira who donated 3 private Pilates classes and Nizar who offer us one personal training session. These prizes enabled us to have a special time during the party. We had fun selling and trying our luck buying tickets for the lucky draw.

We wish to also say thank you to Tiago and Pedro, who were our “caipireiros”. The boys prepared delicious caipirinhas (Brazilian drink made with cachaca and lime). They for sure helped to keep the party alive! Also, I want to say thank you to Paola and Deborah, who helped me to roll the brigadeiros and beijinhos (Brazilian desserts) and were also our back stage angels, they were responsible to keep up with all the finance during the party.

To finish, I will use Verena’s (a friend from HK) words and say that it’s really very hard to explain all that’s happening; however the only thing we can say for sure is that “together we are stronger and capable of doing much more”. Carlos and Bele, we are together with you in this journey, united on the same strength. Carlos your mission now is to fight this disease quickly, we want to see you back to your normal life, together with your beautiful family and hopefully soon we will enjoy a BBQ together here in Singapore.

Love, Prashant e Claudia

Click here to see the pictures