An unexpected gift 🥳

The battery that keeps me going 😆

It’s so rewarding to receive gifts we weren’t expecting—especially when it’s a device you’ve been wanting.

After installing fiber-optic internet and switching providers—from the public utility to a private company—the only thing we needed at home to enjoy that connection was a battery to keep the connection going during power outages, which usually last between 6 and 8 hours a day.

Buying a mini UPS was on my to-do list, but, like any good Venezuelan, my bank account is in the red, and I have to pay off my outstanding debts before taking on new commitments. Thank God, my brother came home with this gift that made our day and took a weight off my shoulders since I didn’t have to buy it.

Having one of these devices improves our quality of life, since we can keep communicating when everything goes dark; above all, it gives me peace of mind—and I’m not exaggerating: I’m going to tell you about an experience I had that I never want to repeat.

It was a Sunday at 8 p.m.; there was no electricity, and everything was dark and silent. My mom went to take a shower with the rechargeable lamp we have, and I stayed behind to take care of my grandmother—we couldn’t even see each other’s faces. Remember, it was nighttime, and whenever the power goes out, the landline goes dead, cell phones lose signal, and, in short, we’re cut off from the world.

When my mother came back from the bathroom and shone the lamp on us, my grandmother seemed to be fast asleep, and that struck us as strange, since she’s always alert—and even if she seems asleep, when you touch her she responds or shows signs of life—but that night it wasn’t like that. We started touching her face, and instead, she opened her mouth; her arms hung limply, and her head tilted to one side. It was the first time I’d ever seen her like that; I tried to check if she was breathing, but I couldn’t see any movement in her chest, and she had no pulse. My grandmother is 95 years old, and this is something that could happen at any moment.

At that moment, my mother started crying and panicking, and I began to wonder what to do; I couldn’t reach anyone, so I thought about carrying my grandmother’s body to her bed and waiting until morning; as I was thinking that, my aunt and my brother—who also has a disability—started to get nervous.

Those were some very long minutes, during which I almost panicked trying to keep everything under control. Thank God, a few minutes later, my grandmother showed signs of still being with us, and the others began to calm down. I would have spared myself that desperate, agonizing moment if I’d been able to stay in touch.

After that, I realized that staying connected—even without electricity—is vital for my immediate family, especially for me, since I’m responsible for taking care of everyone; that’s why I say this UPS gives me peace of mind.

It’s a compact device with an 8-hour battery life; it cost me $40, and I’m as happy as a clam 😜.