Hello I'm Anna, Eric's mom 

How did we get here ?

Charity work has always given me a sense of achievement and fulfillment in my life journey.   All along I always involved my children, I felt it was important for them to learn from an early age to be grateful and to give back to their community.   Eric was always by my side, no matter what we were helping with, selling cupcakes to help the orphanage, making sandwiches for the mission on sundays, selling pasta dinners to support the animal shelter, whatever needed to get done.    

No parent should ever lose a child. It’s not the correct order of things.

I am the mother of an amazing young man, Eric Medeiros. The most kind, loving and generous person you could meet. Always by my side, always willing to give a helping hand, always smiling. The thought of someone being hungry or without clothing just devastated him. Together we volunteered and helped in our community, raising funds or whatever was needed to help those in need. We also loved supporting the efforts of our local Animal Shelter.

Then one day, it all stopped, my world came crushing down around me. I lost my Eric in a car accident. Eric suffered a traumatic brain injury. Letting him go was the hardest most painful thing ever.   I fell to a million pieces.  Nobody and nothing could ever put those pieces back together. And, so it was for a very long time.

My cousin Fatima came by and insisted I get dressed, put some shoes on and that she was taking me out. She had something very important to discuss with me.  But she only got me as far as the kitchen table for tea.  

Then she hit me with it “so now what are you going to do with yourself ?“. This was about me, not her. I was angry that she tricked me. Those days I was always angry, very angry. Angry that it happened, Angry that my Eric was no longer here with me, Angry at the world. She left me with “what would Eric tell you to do now ? Maybe you could do your charity work again,  You and Eric loved doing that together, its a great memory and something that might help you deal with all of this.  

I told her I would figure it out, and I did. She opened my eyes. I thought about the things Eric and I did together, working together at my café, making sandwiches to take to the homeless shelter, bake sales to raise money for kids backpacks.

As I sat there thinking about all of it, I could see him smiling,

I could hear his voice “come on Ma, you still have work to do”. And so I did.

It started small, and out of pocket but I started to feel a little lighter, like I had a purpose again. I would collect food items, and bring to the local food pantry. Clothing drive here and there and deliver to our local shelter. I knew this was it, what I needed to do for my Eric. I always taught him to never give up, if you fall, get back up and keep going. I mostly always wanted to be a good example for my children and I still had to be a mom.

Slowly our little charity work has grown, and we are able to help even more people. Through fundraising events, help of friends and family volunteering, we are doing good things.

Most important to me, we are remembering and honoring Eric, and keeping his memory alive. I entered my very first pageant in October 2016, and only because it’s a charity based pageant and you could have a donation box for your charity. I did well, received the Spirit Award from the judges. I knew then, I needed to make my circle bigger, everyone I met there was amazing and supportive. The mutual support of each other’s charities goes on to this day.

I never imagined after this tragedy, I could ever smile again, but I feel Eric’s spirit always nudging me. So as a family we have healed a little and smiled a bit more, continuing what we did when Eric was here with us.

I know that it would make him so happy.

You are never the same, your heart is always missing that piece, but if you can find something or anything, that might give you a little more strength and purpose, grab it and run. That’s what we did, we had to turn this tragedy into something positive, the smiles on the faces we help, put smiles on our faces.

Do it in memory of a loved one, you will feel that hug from heaven and that will carry you one more day. One day at a time, one step at a time. You will get better at carrying it. All while helping to put a smile on someone else’s face.

I believe in angels, I believe they are amongst us in many forms and appear when we need them most.   

My amazing family, my in-law family, daughter Jessica and lots of great friends are some of those angels. 

But also through my pageant family, my titles as 2017 & 2018  Mrs. Knightsville Rhode Island America and most recently National title of  2017 Elite American Women of Service and  my other community involvement we have been able to meet more people,

which means more awareness and more people we can help. 

We have been able to continuously support our local food pantry,  ongoing clothing drive for men, women and children and offer support to other local charities.   

We are now an official foundation, with our 501c3 status approved.    

I hate that Eric is not here with us, but........   I'm blessed and grateful to have had him, even if just for a short while,  he made me what I am............... before and today. 

I miss his smile, but I know for every person we help and make smile, Eric smiles too.  

Thank you for taking the time to visit and hope you come by often.   

Anna Marie  Casador - Saccoccio