After months of struggle and after achieving the support of more than 95,000 people, José Orellana has achieved his goal: to prevent his parents, a marriage of octogenarians, both patients with Alzheimer’s, have to separate.
This man, a native of Plasencia, undertook a particular crusade last October. The Extremadura regulations, which grant places in public residences, does not take into account marriage as a scale. A peculiarity, unthinkable in other autonomous communities, which had caused a situation, for him, “inhuman.” There was a place for his father, but not for his mother. Both with Alzheimer’s, but with different degrees of dependence. Without more alternative than that or pay more than € 3,000 per month, something that the family “could not afford.”
Last week, José was able to deliver in Mérida, in the offices of the SEPAD, the More than 95,000 signatures that he has been able to collect these months. His fight, which dragged great popular and media support, taking care of media throughout the country, from the first moment, has finally reached, at last, this Tuesday, when The Board of Extremadura has offered a solution For your parents. Both, both Desiderio and Soledad, will have a place in the public residence of Villamesia (Cáceres). It is not the ideal solution, as he recognizes, because this small municipality in the province of Cacereña is more than an hour by car from his house, in plasence, but, for the moment, “he gives it for good.”
It is understood, at least on paper, as A “happy ending”. José has repeated by active and passive that he would do anything to avoid separating his parents. It has been commissioned, in fact, to underline, again and again that, despite suffering the disease they suffer, they have never lost the link: “They do not remember what they are called, but they do want,” he said. A phrase that, like its struggle, has gone around the country.
They have, both, more than 80 years old, but, as their son says, they seem to be “in full adolescence.” They don’t stop kissing, hugging. They know without knowing, both one and the other, that the person who accompanies them is part of their life. And after more than 60 years together, as his son underlines, it was not “common sense” that they had to spend the last days separated from each other.
Thus, after all, and even if it is not the dream scenario, desiderio and loneliness they can continue to give kisses and hugs. Together. As they have done a lifetime.
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