“For better, for worse, in sickness, in health…” 12 years ago Brazilian civil servant Adilio Bezerra (54) realized the meaning of these words. In 2007, his wife Professor Glaucia suffered apoplexy and fell into a “vegetative” state.
Glaucia and Adililo met in 1986. She had already had a daughter, and after a month of their relationship, she confessed she was pregnant from her ex-boyfriend.
Glaucia was sure Adililo would leave her, but she was wrong. Later the couple had two sons, and in 1992 they officially got married.
They lived an ordinary life, but on September 18, 2007 everything changed. Glaucia got up and went to wash her face when suddenly she went pale and began to suffocate. She passed out and the ambulance took her to hospital.
She was diagnosed with cardiac and respiratory arrest. There was a lack of oxygen going into her brain. She was intubated and diagnosed with ischemic apoplexy.
“I was sure she would die and even prepared myself for the funeral,-tells Adilio,- I returned home from the hospital and told my neighbor about everything. He suggested trusting God. And so I did.”
Glaucia survived but never came out of her vegetative condition. She can’t talk, walk, hear and can’t move. Glaucia breathes through tracheal button and is fed through a tube.
She had been in hospital for 5 years, 3 months and three days. This whole time Adilio was by her side helping the nurses to wash her, change clothes, shave her…
On Dec 21, 2012, Glaucia was discharged. Now Adilio is taking care for her himself. Two of their children help him.
“I’m sleeping on a cot next to her mattress. When she wakes up, I say “Good morning”, tell her the date and inform her whether she’ll have visitors or not. I keep a diary and write down everything we do together: when she urinates, empties, and when I turn her over.”
Doctor’s say there is no chance for her revival. However, Adilio doesn’t believe a word of it. He thinks his wife’s fate is in God’s hands.
“When we married, we swore to live for each other, to become one flash as it is willed in the Bible. I’m sure, if I was in her place, she would do the same for me”.
Adilio says he stays loyal to Glaucia, although he really has not enough sexual intercourse. He admits he is suffering and it is hard for him. But he still relies on God – either he’ll take Glaucia, or he’ll return her to her husband…
And what would you do in his place?
