Marcelo Rubens Paiva: Life After the Accident

Study Notes

Marcelo Paiva was a 20-year-old student who loved music, had a band, and had participated in music contests.
One day, the police came to his house and took his mother, father, and older sister away.
On December 14, 1979, a few days before Christmas, Marcelo was drunk and playing a joke with his friends, saying he would go find the treasure at the bottom of the lake.
He jumped into the "Tio Patinhas" hole without knowing it was shallow, and his friends saw that he wasn't going to surface quickly and called for help.
They pulled him out of the lake and put him on the ground, and then took him to the hospital.
It's not known if the fact that he had immediately stood up worsened the situation, but he had fractured his fifth cervical vertebra and compressed his spinal cord.
He was paralyzed from the waist down, and lost all movement below his neck.
In the hospital, the protagonist received visits from many friends. There was Nana, an old friend who had been there for him when he was down and out, and who had not abandoned him.
There was Marina, the girl who had taken Marcelo's virginity, and so many others. Marcelo was used to living intensely his sexual life, but the sensitivity of his penis hadn't returned yet after the injury.
He had physiotherapy, and they put him in a suit so he could move his arms.
As he got better, he was able to return to his mother's house. However, his friends continued to visit and stay with him.
Gradually, he began to eat alone, write alone, and even walk with a walker. He was able to go swimming, go to the cinema, and even go to parties.
Marcelo had a place of his own, where he could look at people with the same problems and find answers.
One night, at a party he went to, he met Bianca, the sister of one of his friends. The two of them started dating and soon moved in together. It was now one year since the accident.
Marcelo remembered the bad moments, how he felt cheated that he hadn't been able to stop time before the jump, and how he was sad at the new year. But now he was entering a new phase, where he would treat his injuries and find answers.
Marcelo Rubens Paiva wrote a book called "Feliz Ano Velho" when he was 26 years old after suffering a car accident.
The book is a personal account of his experiences after the accident, including his thoughts on life and his feelings about the accident.
The book is realistic and focuses on the values and questions that everyone faces.
One of the most important aspects of the book is Marcelo's determination to fight and never give up.
The book also highlights the importance of friendship and the support of others.