Paulo's cancer: secure a permanent home

tradução para português

Our friend Paulo Bento Maffei de Souza has terminal cancer. There’s no sugar-coating this – he has months to live. He is in pain. His bones are brittle, he developed arrhythmia, and is losing lung capacity. The prognosis is bleak. The core treatment stopped working, and he has been referred to palliative care. But he faces this ordeal with unparalleled dignity, worrying about his family more than about himself. Paulo is acutely aware that the strain that weighs heavily on him is crushing his wife, Estela, and their two daughters.

Estela faces not only the imminent loss of her husband but also that of their home, and is confronted with the task of providing stability and security for her two children. They know the time they have left together is short and they need a helping hand. Paulo is their breadwinner. He consults for the UN on a project aiming to protect the main global tropical forests. While his boss and team are very supportive, he earns only when he works, with no social security.

The family moved to Oxford when Paulo began his DPhil (PhD) at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment. Estela has been a homeschooling mother since then. The family's plan was to get a mortgage for a house when Paulo's thesis had been submitted and he was able to work full time. The diagnosis came in April 2023, already with severe symptoms, shattering all plans.

The family faces the prospect of being without a home in July, when their housing contract with their Oxford college ends. As Paulo is unable to work and Estela is caring for him full time, private landlords always have better candidates. If Paulo dies sooner, homelessness for Estela and the girls comes sooner. Paulo is the link to their university accommodation. They will be uprooted from their community, school, and support network of nearby friends, crucial in times like these.

Although Paulo is loved by all who have experienced his caring, thoughtful, and loving spirit, he's financially alone. There's no immediate family to help him or Estela. This is a cruel turn of events for this wonderful man who has, over the years, financially helped people in need and has volunteered his time to social and environmental causes, including the chairing of his Oxford college's “Green Team” during his PhD.

The girls know that their dad’s cancer is terminal, and that his work is the key for everything, including housing. It’s the cruelest of double-whammies. No child should go through this level of distress.

We therefore invite you to join us in supporting the future of the family by contributing to this campaign, helping them to afford a home in the outskirts of Oxford. In doing so, you're not just providing a roof and material protection: you are offering a lifeline that will help them find their footing in the aftermath of this heart-breaking journey and build a new life, leveraging the emotional support they have from their community in Oxford.

Every donation counts to help them prepare for a future where Estela and her daughters can rebuild their lives with a semblance of stability and hope.

We wholeheartedly believe we'll raise the necessary funds for them to buy a house, and hopefully go beyond that.

Your generosity is a testament to the strength of community and the impact of collective action. Together, we can make a huge difference and surround them with the love and care they desperately need during this most challenging of times. Your help is valued and appreciated with heartfelt gratitude.

May God bless you for your support.