By Aparecida de Souza, December 5, 2019 — It was Carnival, March 11, 1983. I went on a trip with my younger daughter. Our first stop was to be in Macin, AL. It was past lunchtime when we arrived at the hotel. The beach was sunny and beautiful, so we decided to spend some time checking out the warm sand and water and just have dinner.
Going back to the hotel meant that we had to take a shower, even before resting up in our room. We were told to use a bathroom in the downstairs area, which seemed to be out of use, and good only for showers. I noticed that the electricity was off, and saw a switch by the showerhead, way up, near the ceiling.
Trying to reach it, I stepped on the sanitary vase, unaware of the fact that it was very old, very dirty, and also unattached, completely loose from the floor. That is when it turned around and I fell with my lower back on top of it… I only saw blood running and my daughter screaming for help wildly. They took us to the hospital, but, as I said, it was Carnival- there were no doctors there, there wouldn’t be any for 3 days! Many interns gathered around to help me, but they had had no experience with that kind of wound. Nurses were telling them how to go about stitching- how to prevent tetanus, etc.
As soon as I was allowed back to the hotel, about two days later, the stitches were already coming loose and breaking. It was the first infection. After seeing a private doctor, I contacted a private nurse to come to the hotel, clean me up, change the dressings, and apply the medicine daily.
Meanwhile, my family in São Paolo kept trying to get me a flight back, but it couldn’t possibly be done anytime soon, because airlines were all booked on account of the Carnival. They finally got me a ticket for two weeks ahead. No matter how I tried to take care of myself, having to lay in bed day and night, the infection only increased. My daughter was taken from me and went to stay at the house of the hotel owners.
If not for the kindness of many people that were staying at the hotel and came over bringing food and drink to me I would have starved. The stink in the room was unbearable and cockroaches infested all sides of the bed and bathroom. I was in and out with a high fever but never stopped praying, asking God not to take me this time, because who would take care of my two daughters.
I don’t know if I finally gave up, but at one of these “outs,” I passed and crossed something like a closed bridge. On the other side, which was bright and beautiful, a tall man came to help me. He was holding me for a while, as we walked ahead, kind of instructing me that I should go back. I did come back, and it was then that I promised to bring my children to the U.S. to guarantee that they would have a good life. In 1986 we came to the U.S. for good.