The story of Monique
In 2006 I found the love of my life. He was a musician, conductor and composer and I sang as a soprano in one of his choirs. When it became clear we liked eachother beyond the boundaries of our professional relationship, we were both excited. We got married in 2007 and there was nothing but sheer happiness. However, as from the beginning of 2008 my husbands condition got bad. Nausea, vomiting, not being able to swallow food and a long search began. There was no doctor who could give a diagnosis, and at the beginning of 2009 my husband was hospitalized most of the time. And then I got pregnant. And I knew that this great joy on our paths would mean that I would lose my husband. In july 2009 the diagnosis of MNGIE came, he was the first adult with this diagnose in our country, as far as the doctor could tell. Luckily he lived to see the birth of our son, he composed several works including his opus magnum Requiem and then died on his 41st birthday. Although the silence is overwhelming at times, because I miss his liveliness everyday, his music is still there. I am so very grateful that we have met and loved and that we became parents of an extraordinary beautiful boy.