A spinal injury left her paralyzed from the waist down.

Esteban was teaching when he received the call from the hospital.

He rushed without thinking, and when he saw her, his heart broke: his cheerful and vibrant wife lay motionless, her eyes filled with tears, unable to speak.

From that day on, Esteban took an extended leave of absence.

He cared for Sofia’s care took care of everything—feeding her, bathing her, and giving her physical therapy at home.

Their small home became a makeshift medical room, filled with medications, gauze, and other aids.

Some suggested placing her in a specialized nursing home. But he refused.

“She’s my wife. I’ll take care of her. No one else.”

Every morning, he got up before dawn to cook her atolito (atrolito), feed her, and then went out to