Photograph of father and daughter with leukemia mobilizes solidarity in Barcarena

A photograph taken by chance in a port in Barcarena, in the northeast of Pará, changed the routine of a family facing a battle against cancer.

In the image, Paulo Robson Vasconcelos Pereira appears sitting with his daughter Esther Sofia, aged 4, next to him. The two were tired after another trip between Barcarena and Belém, where the girl is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

The registration was made by motorcycle taxi driver Nelildo Keybe. At that moment, he had no idea that photography would go beyond groups of city residents and mobilize a network of solidarity.

"The father had a very sad face and she was very weak. That scene caught my attention", said Nelildo.

The photograph gained repercussion on social media and led to campaigns and donations to help the family. Behind the image, however, there was an even more difficult situation. That day, Paulo did not have enough money to return home.

"I was desperate. My daughter said she was hungry and wanted to go home. I didn't know what to do at that moment," he said. According to him, there was R$7 left to complete the amount needed to return.

Nelildo says that he already knew Esther's story. He and friends from a social project linked to the Som Automotivo de Barcarena group planned to organize a charity bingo to help with the girl's treatment. Moved, Nelildo sent the photograph to friends in the group and explained the situation he had witnessed. The initial intention was to use the registration to mobilize people and promote charity bingo. But the photograph began to circulate.

“It spread, spread and reached a scale that we never imagined,” he said. For Nelildo, the image portrays much more than a moment of tiredness. "The photo summed up the father's despair, Esther's hunger and all the physical and emotional problems that the two were facing at that moment."

Discovery of leukemia

Photo of father and daughter goes viral on social media — Photo: Reproduction

Esther's story began to change about three months ago. Paulo had just gotten home from work when his daughter complained of pain in her stomach. When he checked the girl's body, he noticed a purple stain. Worried, he decided to take her for medical attention. After a series of tests, professionals identified changes in the blood. Paulo was called to talk to a doctor.

"He said that there was a suspicion of leukemia and that he would need more specific tests to confirm it. At that moment, everything indicated that that was it," he said. Esther was transferred to another hospital, received a blood transfusion and was subsequently referred for specialized care. When he received confirmation of the diagnosis, Paulo said he had difficulty believing it.

"She was always a healthy, playful child. When the medical team confirmed it, it was a blow. As a father, I broke down."

Father also lost the girl's mother to cancer

His daughter's diagnosis brought back a painful memory for Paulo. Esther's mother died of cancer when the girl was still young. At the time, Paulo worked in Pará and the family lived in Brasília. He received a call from his wife informing him that she was hospitalized. Shortly afterwards, Paulo returned to Brasília.

"21 days after I arrived there, she passed away. It was very painful. After that, I was responsible for raising Esther", he said. Later, Paulo met his current wife, who today shares the care of the girl with him.

Since the beginning of treatment, father and daughter began to face an intense travel routine. To get to the hospital, they leave the house, take a car via app to the port, take a speedboat to Belém and then use another transport to the health unit. The route can be repeated two, three or even four times a week.

"It's very tiring, especially for her. We leave in the morning, spend the day at the hospital and then come back. There are times when she needs to be hospitalized", explained Paulo. Esther, who likes playing with dolls and making bracelets, says she prefers to stay at home. "I don't want to go there anymore. I want to stay here at home. I like playing here, not in the hospital", he said.

Father left his job to attend treatment

Before his diagnosis, Paulo worked shifts. With hospitalizations and the need for constant monitoring, she decided to leave her job to take care of her daughter. The decision brought financial difficulties to the family. Paulo began to divide himself between caring for Esther, traveling and supporting his wife during hospitalizations.

"I had to quit my job to pay more attention to her. I went to the hospital several times, took clean clothes and provided support," he explained. Without a fixed income, the family began to receive help from neighbors and residents of the São Francisco community, in Barcarena. "There were people who helped with R$10, R$20, R$50. I am very grateful to everyone who gave us strength", he said.

Solidarity changed the family’s routine

After the photograph gained repercussion, Paulo began to receive messages and donations from people from different places. He states that he does not have social media and only realized the extent of the story after his cell phone started receiving hundreds of messages. "My cell phone crashed because of so many messages. Until today I haven't been able to respond to everyone.

"A fundraiser was organized and the family also received donations directly from people touched by the story. The resources should help with treatment expenses and the adaptation of the house where Esther lives. The girl still doesn't have her own room. According to Paulo, she received the furniture and the family plans to start renovations to prepare a more comfortable space. "My house is humble, but it's mine. I want to do what I can to adapt everything to it and keep the little room organized."

According to her father, Esther's treatment could last between two and three years. The family still faces the costs of frequent travel and everyday needs. Even in the face of an exhausting routine, Paulo says he intends to continue accompanying his daughter at every stage.

"Only God knows what I went through and what I still go through with my little princess. But I'm going to make all the effort in the world and I'm going to continue doing it for her," he said.

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