Why "Brick's"?
One morning, Lucca woke up and told his mum, “A piece of brick from the wall fell on my head.” Because of the heat, the wall in his room would sometimes deteriorate a little and the paint would peel away. Somehow, from that simple moment, Brick was born.
From then on, Lucca called himself Brick. It became his nickname at school, and he was incredibly proud when people called him by it.
I will never know exactly what that name meant to him. But as his father, I sometimes felt that Brick was more than a nickname. Perhaps it was his superhero identity, a kind of mask or armour that helped him face the additional challenges autism brought into his life.
And what a superhero he became.
Lucca surprised us all.
He excelled in maths and science and would sometimes tease his classmates because he had finished an exam before everyone else. We watched him develop enormously, constantly surprising his parents, family, teachers, therapists and friends with what he could do.
One story has always stayed with me.
His IT teacher once said to one of his therapists, “Did you know he is coding by himself?”
The therapist replied, “Yes, I know. He does some small things here and there.”
His teacher answered, “No, you don't understand. He is really coding. He does things I don't even know how to do.”
He was teaching himself.
Those moments made all of us incredibly happy and proud. We were watching this remarkable child find his own way, overcome barriers and show us abilities we had never imagined.
Parents, family, teachers, therapists, friends. We were all watching him grow.
And God was watching too.
Sometimes, in my faith and in my grief, I find myself wondering whether God looked at Lucca, saw how far he had come and how much he had already achieved, and decided it was time to take him back home.
I don't know.
What I do know is that Brick left us something extraordinary.
That is why the Foundation carries his name.
Brick’s Foundation is not simply named in Lucca’s memory. Brick was the name Lucca chose for himself, a name he carried with pride. For us, it now represents his strength, his individuality, his extraordinary ability to surprise us, and everything he taught us about autism, potential and seeing beyond perceived limitations.
Brick was Lucca. And Brick’s Foundation is his legacy.
With love,
Aloisio and Shirlei
Lucca's proud parents
