OUR STORY
On October 31, 2019, life as we knew it changed forever. In the early morning, I woke to the news that my mom was in the hospital and that she had suffered a stroke. We were unaware of the severity of her condition until the doctors explained her stroke had caused a "massive and destructive bleed." The moments that followed were a blur, as I jumped into the first cab I found and rushed to the airport to catch a flight to Miami, FL.
Then the agonizing wait began, as my mom laid unconscious and hooked to a ventilator. Doctors came in twice a day and warned me of the grim outcome - showing me a comparison of her swollen brain with normal ones. There was no earthly hope, all doctors concurred. “She will probably never get off the ventilator, she may never wake up.” IF my mom woke up, she would probably be paralyzed, never speak, and never be the same. Among many nights we thought would be the last, my family and I gathered around her and prayed - believing in a miraculous God but accepting His will nonetheless. After a month and a half and one more surgery, my mom opened her eyes on December 10th.
Yet, our journey was just beginning. In the weeks, then months that followed, my mom began to gain consciousness, her body began to heal, her personality started to shine through once more. These months were not without hurdles, most moments felt impossible but achievements were miraculous. Our biggest challenge today is her memory and the stress she feels for not remembering. Relying on God’s grace and strength, we just take this process one day at a time. Yet through it all, my mom’s childlike faith, strength, and resilience are the fuel that keep me and my family going. My mom is a miracle- the improvement we’ve seen in her mobility, attention and memory despite the doctor’s best judgments prove that.
In the quiet of the hospital room, I thought of all the sacrifices my mother made for me and my brother, including sacrificing her personal dreams. I also thought a lot about the promises I had made to her (whether verbalized or not). Peco’s Designs is a manifestation of those promises. It has been my mom’s dream to be an entrepreneur and it is my greatest honor to help her achieve that dream with this second chance God has given us. Now, we tackle this new challenge together. To qualify for her medical insurance my mom needs to generate a minimum amount of income each year (as she can no longer clean houses) so the products on this site are a way of making that possible.
If I could use only one word to describe the way my mom lived her life, I would use giving. She gave all of herself for her kids, her family and friends, and often even strangers. At the heart of it, this online shop is just a way to facilitate a continuation of that. Sending flowers or a postcard to a loved one, a long-distance friend, someone who may be going through a hard time. A new day is not always promised and take this opportunity to let those around you know you love them.
This dream would be impossible without the support of our family and friends that have left everything to support us every step of the way. I will never be able to fully express what your actions have meant to us.
-Antonella