The Seludo Story Project - writing a family memoir – marks our journey to document,
Dad & Mom in New York 1978
understand and emotionally heal from a series of tragic events that drastically affected our family. It began on September 13, 1989 when our 46 year old father, Dr. Manolito T. Seludo, took one sip of water and his life fell apart. The drinking water in his duplex townhouse in Napoleonville, LA was laced with a highly toxic and fatal chemical, potassium cyanide. Someone tried to kill him. He faced death but was revived in the ambulance and remained lifeless while in a coma at the hospital. He went from seeing patients to being a patient for the rest of his life. He lived in misery and discomfort, bed-ridden and unable to walk and talk. Our father was poisoned, our lives were shattered.
In August of 1991, two years after our father’s poisoning, our 49 year old mother was in a near-fatal car accident while driving on a narrow two-way road in the bayou town of Raceland, LA. She was struck by a drunk driver in a head-on collision leaving her sandwiched in the car. Realizing that every wasted second could compromise her life, the emergency response team used the “jaws of life” to pry the vehicle open to remove her trapped body from car. With her life threatening injuries, she was transported to the nearest hospital by helicopter. She survived the accident but she was never the same.
We were 15 and 13 years old when our father was poisoned. We were just beginning to enjoy our adolescent years but were forced to make an overnight transition from teenage life to adulthood. We found ourselves faced with overwhelming responsibilities of assuring that our parents get through rehabilitation, surgeries, making medical decisions and multiple medical appointments while trying to remain in school. With two hospitalized parents and not understanding what it meant to have financial obligations, our cars and home were eventually taken from us. In 1991, at 17 and 15, we were forced to separate just to find a place to live. Totally unprepared, we were left alone to figure out this thing called “life”.
It is now 22 years later since our father was poisoned. As teenagers, we were only capable of reacting instead of comprehending what happened to us and our parents. As adults, we want to understand and process what happened and we are prepared to peel back the layers of our lives as we explore our parents’ medical and legal records and talk with people who knew our parents. For purposes of self-healing and keeping our parents’ legacy alive for our future generations, we are finally ready to chronicle “The Seludo Story” from the eyes of the “Seludo Girls”.
* We invite you to stay informed by subscribing to our blog and engage with us by leaving comments to our posts or posting on our Guest Book with a memory you shared with our family.
I’m your first follower! YAY
DP
Hip Chick’s Guide to PMS, Pregnancy, and Babies
I’m a fellow Momblogger. I’ll click on follow after I submit my comment, and it’d be great if you follow back at:
Karen Cioffi Writing for Children and More
Chris
http://shmily1-lovingdisney.blogspot.com
Madison
My Meddling Mind
My eyes are wet while reading your story….I can feel what you went through…..praying for a very happy & fulfilled life for you…I am your new follower from MBC.
Thank you for following us back! I look forward to reading more!
My times with the Seludo family were always such a pleasure. They welcomed me with open arms & were always hospitable & gracious hosts. They even saw fit to play a little live music every now & then on some of my visits..Ha..They were such a blessed, intelligent & talented family. They were funloving, down to earth, hard working & involved in the advancment & wellness of the people & the community. My father simply LOVED Dr. Seludo & trusted his intellect, advice & wisdom. My father was an exceptional judge of character & through him I came to know Doc on a more personal level. I can recall my first physical. Man was I nervous!! but…Dr. Manolito Seludo knew precisely what to say to make me feel comfortable. He had something special, something earned, something only a man with determination & the desire to be great could possess. His sometimes confusing in depth medical terminolgy soon became perfectly understood as his gift of gab layed it out for the lamen & common folk. He had strong warm hands & a soft look about him that made him easy to talk to. I didnt enjoy the Dr. until I met him….It was hard to see such an amazing human being stand so tall & confident to be confined to a wheelchair & incapable of simple conversation..It scarred my memory but his greatness prevails in my mind. My memories of him, his wife, daughters & family are cherished & wholehearted…Thank you for the memories Doc…thank you for being real. Thank you for lighting up my fathers life and the lives of everyone you encountered..The beauty of you, your lovely wife and family live on in all that were blessed to know you….with love and respect..
Dax.
Thank you for your memories and kind words of our family, especially the stories of our dad as a doctor. I know that he loved your family very much!!!!
Much love to you!
~Alta
What a journey life has been for you. It can be very cathartic to write it all out. I am glad you and your sister are doing so.
This is a beautiful thing you girls are doing and I know your parents are looking from above and honored and proud as you honor them. My family means a great deal to me also and as an adult you appreciate the Background of your roots. I tell my daughter all the time..” Family doesnt always mean where you came from, but who you will always be a part of…” God Bless you girls and may the good Lord see you thru your journey and give you strength.