By Jessica Easthope
Michael was the baby, Peggy Virgadamo’s youngest of four, her pride and joy. They spoke every day, even when he moved down to Florida. They were more than mother and son – they were best friends.
“What a beautiful gift God gave us to be able to share in the creation and development of a child throughout their entire life and what greater gift could I have,” she said.
Now Michael and Peggy’s relationship lives on through this book, “Love Letters from a Mother to her Dying Son.” Peggy wrote letters when she couldn’t be with Michael during his last days.
“I wasn’t allowed to see him, he didn’t want us to quote – watch him die, I guess I was being protected and my pastor said to me, thing of Mary and the pieta and I said she got to hold her son, I didn’t,” she said.
On April 14, 2017, Good Friday, Michael lost his battle with an aggressive form of throat cancer.
“I went through the anger and the frustration and my faith was shattered I didn’t care if I lived or died and I’m not that kind of person, I still had a beautiful family who loved me, I had no right feeling that way but I did, I lost my son, I lost my baby,” said Peggy.
Peggy took her time to grieve before pouring her loss and love into her book. She published it on Amazon earlier this year, with all of the proceeds going back to Cathedral Prep, Michael’s alma mater.
“Cathedral’s motto is “men for greatness,” to me, and of course I’m prejudiced but Michael personified that in every phase of his life,” she said.
The book was on Amazon’s best seller list among new arrivals in the bereavement category the week of its release.
“If I can help one person get over this hurdle of feeling despair and hurt and lost the book is worthwhile,” said Peggy.
With her through her grieving and writing process was her pastor at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Father Anthony Sansone.
Father Sansone says the book has inspired his own view on life after death.
“His spirit is quite present, I believe in the invisible and much of what has happened in the past year he has brought about by the very power of God,” said Father Sansone.
Peggy sought out to help others – but the book has allowed her to heal.