SAUDADE DOS ANJOS
My daughter's name was Amália dos Anjos.
We named her after we learned that she had Down Syndrome, but when we still thought she would be our sweet daughter who we would raise. I figured we would call her Ama, from amar, to love. I wanted her name to reflect all the love we had for her, because those early days of knowing her genetic condition also brought so many other emotions, like fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Dos Anjos is a family surname, my grandmother carries it, as does my mother, and many aunts. It means "from the angels."
Amália dos Anjos; love from the angels.
My daughter's name was Amália dos Anjos.
We named her after we learned that she had Down Syndrome, but when we still thought she would be our sweet daughter who we would raise. I figured we would call her Ama, from amar, to love. I wanted her name to reflect all the love we had for her, because those early days of knowing her genetic condition also brought so many other emotions, like fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Dos Anjos is a family surname, my grandmother carries it, as does my mother, and many aunts. It means "from the angels."
Amália dos Anjos; love from the angels.
Amália's namesake was also the famous Portuguese Faudista Amália Rodrigues. I grew up listening to Rodrigues's famous Fados and I was enchanted by her singular place in Portuguese culture.
After we learned that our daughter's condition was terminal, her name took on another layer of meaning.
Amália Rodrigues's Fados speak of longing, loss, and love. In my grief, my daughter's name has come to represent all of those things but especially the Portuguese state of saudade.
Amália Dos Anjos.
Saudade Dos Anjos.
After we learned that our daughter's condition was terminal, her name took on another layer of meaning.
Amália Rodrigues's Fados speak of longing, loss, and love. In my grief, my daughter's name has come to represent all of those things but especially the Portuguese state of saudade.
Amália Dos Anjos.
Saudade Dos Anjos.
