Husband of patient hospitalized at Ophir Loyola sets an example of faith and resilience
He learned to make rosaries by hand to distribute during the Trasladação. His wife is fighting cervical cancer and has been hospitalized for two months.
In the week leading up to the great procession of the Círio de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré - considered one of the largest manifestations of faith in the world, traditionally held on the second Sunday of October - operational supervisor and maintenance technician Dorival Pinheiro Pompeu, 51, sets an example of devotion, hope, and resilience. Married for 20 years to housewife Tatiane Jacob, also 51, he, who never had very developed manual skills, learned to craft due to his wife's health.
Tatiane, who is from Belém, has been hospitalized for two months at the Ophir Loyola Hospital - a reference in oncological treatment in the North region - in her fight against cervical cancer. The process has not been easy. Since her hospitalization, she has had to leave her two children - the youngest being a level 3 autistic child - in the care of her husband, who has been juggling household tasks while providing the necessary support to his wife.
Despite all the difficulties, Dorival decided to embrace the challenge of producing handmade rosaries to distribute for free during the Trasladação - considered the second largest procession of the Círio de Nazaré - as a way to fulfill a promise made to Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, to whom he prayed for his wife's full recovery.
"I believe that a promise should come at a moment of something you have never done before. So, I made the promise to make 100 rosaries for her recovery. Thank God, I completed the rosaries. My intention is to distribute them, after being blessed, during the Trasladação, randomly. I will put them in little bags and hand them out to people. And I hope to nourish their faith. Because sometimes, only we know what we are feeling. So, when receiving one of these rosaries, I hope these people remember that they are never alone. Never," he believes.
For Dorival, besides fulfilling the commitment made for his wife's health, this is also a way to offer comfort to others.
"So, I want to nourish the faith of these people by opening their eyes to see that there is someone, at some moment, somewhere, who is also thinking of others. And I hope Nossa Senhora always intercedes for each one of those who are here. And we move on," he concluded.
For Tatiane, her husband's promise and attitude is also a profound expression of love and companionship. "He didn't know how to do any crafts, but he said he would learn to fulfill the promise. It was a new challenge, but he succeeded. This is proof of love and faith. Thank God, I am better than when I arrived here and I continue to trust Nossa Senhora de Nazaré as an intercessor with Jesus," she shared.
According to her, spirituality has been essential in her recovery process. "Faith has helped me in everything during the treatment. The message I leave is to never give up, because life is beautiful. God is with us and faith moves mountains. It is always necessary to give thanks and have gratitude," she emphasized.
According to the social worker at HOL, Mônica Sosinho, gestures like this have a great impact on the emotional strengthening of patients facing complex health issues. "Faith is one of the main sources of hope and resilience for patients and families. When someone dedicates themselves to an act of devotion, such as making and donating rosaries, it generates unity, solidarity, and encouragement to face difficult moments, as well as inspiring others," she explained.
The clinical director of HOL, Fábio Araújo, adds that spirituality is an important ally in facing cancer. "It promotes hope, resilience, and improves quality of life, helping to deal with pain and anxiety. Stories like this demonstrate that faith is a fundamental resource in our patients' journey," he points out.
*With collaboration from Vinicius Campos (intern, under the supervision of Brenna Godot)
