UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com/ - 2006 - My beloved mother passed away on 6 March. She was and will continue to be my inspiration, my greatest gift; I devoted my life to defend women and children’s rights as a tribute to her. 

Maria Dora Macias was born in Leon, Nicaragua, on 1 February 1925. She lost both her parents when she was a child and suffered abuse and mistreatment at the hand of her extended family. 

She developed into a beautiful woman and in her teens she married my father, Carlos Perez-Mora. From that union they had three children, but their marriage ended after 10 years. 

Once my mother became a divorced working woman, she suffered discrimination at the hands of Nicaragua ’s conservative society of that era. 

I shall never forget the impact my parents’ divorce had on my existence. Overnight my well-to-do, privileged life was turned upside down. My mother had to take care of her family responsibilities pretty much on her own. 

Her love of, and devotion to, her children was unconditional and immeasurable, she was prepared to sacrifice her life to give us better opportunities than she had. 

My mother was a firm believer that education was the best legacy a parent could give a child, and during those difficult years she exhibited great courage and bravery, and she never gave up. 

My mother was a pioneer. She believed in women’s emancipation at a time when most women solely devoted themselves to home-making and were regarded a second-class citizens. 

I admired her independence and determination to achieve her goals. Although I left Nicaragua , and my mother, as an adolescent to study in France , she had already left an indelible mark on me and had lit the fire that will consume my life. 

My mother’s devotion and love for nature were contagious. She taught me to respect and treasure the rainforest, to cherish orchids and wild flowers, and to love animals. 

Some of my happiest memories are of the holidays I spent with her in Santa Maria de Ostuma, a beautiful area in the mountainous region of Nicaragua . 

We used to take long walks during which she would teach me the names of orchids and trees. My mother was surrounded by flowers until the end of her days – she had a zest for life, and even when she was paralyzed, she would find reasons to laugh at the most tragic situations. 

She was also concerned about social and economic justice. As a child and adolescent, I remember her outspoken opposition of the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua . 

Later on she supported the Sandinista revolution, but she soon became disillusioned with its leaders and decided to leave Nicaragua , taking the entire family with her to the US . In 1982 she moved to Los Angeles , where she remained until the end of her life.

Notwithstanding the difficulties she had in learning a new language when she arrived in the US at a mature age, she never gave up. She worked and went back to study English with the impetus of a young person. I remember how proud she was of her accomplishment. 

I would like to celebrate her life and legacy – the strength of her spirit, the nobility of her character, and her courage to overcome the numerous challenges she faced in life. 

My beloved mother had both inner and outer beauty. She was generous, sensitive, honest and principled. Less than two years ago she was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. 

I thank God for the privilege of being able to care and protect her during her painful struggle against this devastating illness, which entraps those affected by it. 

While suffering the ravages of this disease, she gave comfort and care to other patients at the hospital where she was confined – even towards the end when she was already paralyzed and all she had was some restricted movement on her left hand, she stuck to her routine at great personal cost. 

She would be dressed by the staff at the hospital and put in her wheelchair with the help of a Hoyer lift, and she would do her rounds driving her wheelchair with only a couple of fingers on her left hand. 

She would zoom to visit other patients in worse conditions than her. She had an unflinching faith in God and she enjoyed reading the Bible until the very end. 

Losing my mother has left a profound void in my life – she loved me unconditionally and with her I learned the meaning of unconditional love. Now that she is no longer with me I am sadly free to resume my life and work, but I feel lost and overcome with grief.

       BiancaJagger@MaximsNews.com