By Mariana Velloso | Fund Raising Coordinator
When Tifany was diagnosed with cerebral paralysis and sent to Saúde Criança, her parents, Stephanie and Francisco, decided that they wanted to spend more time together as a family. That was when they enrolled in a cooking workshop offered by Saúde Criança and opened a bakery operating out of their home.
Stephanie and Francisco’s lives were transformed.The couple joined Saúde Criança in 2011 after being transferred to Lagoa Hospital because the eldest daughter, Tifany, age 9, was diagnosed with cerebral paralysis and congenital cytomegalovirus. Tifany has neuromotor delays and requires intensive care. Despite all of this, she is a joyful, friendly and very sweet girl who loves to play with her younger sister Ana Clara, age 6.
The parents completed the Saúde Criança Cooking Workshop and became excited about the possibility of opening up their own businessin their home to have more time to dedicate to their eldest daughter. A short time later, Francisco was laid off from the bakery where he worked and decided to invest everything in the new business: he used all of the money from his severance pay to purchase machinery from a bakery that was closing and adapt a part of the house where they live in the community of Vidigal, in Rio de Janeiro, to serve as a small pastry shop.
Today, by selling cakes, snacks, mini-pizzas, pastels and other baked goods, the couple is able to support the family. “We are happier now that we can work on our own. We are always supporting our children to raise them well, make sure they are healthy,” said Francisco. Tifany returned to school and to physical therapy. “My daughter is enjoying the quality of life that all children deserve,” concluded Stephanie.
The changes in the family’s lives do not stop there. In 2014, Saúde Criança will remodel Stephanie and Francisco’s home. The structure will be adapted to facilitate Tifany’s mobility, since she depends on a wheelchair to get around. The kitchen will also undergo a transformation. The idea is to expand the shop’s production capacity and increase the family’s income.
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