Maria Paula de Sousa Mello, originally from Brejo Santo in Brazil’s Ceará state, says her family’s story spans decades marked by addiction-related instability, medical crisis, rehabilitation, and sustained support from relatives and local Seventh-day Adventist Church members.

Mello said she met her husband, José Gabriel de Mello, as a teenager. They began dating in 1991 and married on December 25, 1992, at ages 18 and 19.

The early years of marriage included increasing challenges as her husband’s alcohol and drug use intensified over time. After the birth of their first daughter, Monique, in 1995, the family moved to Paraná, where Mello said the impact of substance dependency became more visible in the home.

She said she later encountered the Bible message, chose baptism, and found ongoing support through her local Adventist Church community while continuing to work to provide stability for her children amid financial and family pressures.

Mello said she experienced periods of severe hardship, including domestic conflict and financial strain, and that assistance from family members and church members helped the household meet basic needs.

After years of praying for change in her husband’s life, a major turning point came following a serious accident that led to his hospitalization in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital in Cascavel. According to Mello, he remained in an induced coma for 27 days and experienced multiple cardiac arrests. She said physicians shared a grave prognosis, including significant brain injury. Mello reported that her husband later regained consciousness and continued recovery with ongoing effects, including hearing loss in one ear and paralysis on one side of his body. She added that, following the accident, his substance use ceased.

According to Mello, José Gabriel began a long rehabilitation process. She said doctors initially told the family he might not walk again, but after three years of physiotherapy he regained mobility and is now able to walk, ride a bicycle, and drive. During that period, Mello said church members provided practical, spiritual, and financial support. She added that her husband later agreed to study the Bible and was baptized, along with their son.

Mello said the family later faced a new crisis when their son, Gabriel Henriky de Souza Melo, began using drugs at age 13. She described repeated stress at home and said the teenager stepped away from church participation. In 2016, Mello said, her son asked to enter treatment. She emphasized that the decision was voluntary and marked a significant step for the family. Mello said church members and youth groups stayed connected with him through visits and encouragement, and that members contributed financially for 10 months to support his treatment at a recovery clinic.

Reflecting on the family’s experience, Mello said prayer, along with consistent support from relatives and the church community, helped them navigate prolonged seasons of crisis and recovery. She described the process as difficult but said it strengthened her confidence in God’s presence and the possibility of new beginnings.

The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese news site.