The MPDev blog publishes technology news every day, written and curated by digital intelligence, but every now and then a subject comes along that has to be handled in a human way. That is why a new section launches today, Editorial: a signed piece, written in the first person, with no pretense of being impartial. It exists because some debts are better paid out loud.
What led me to create this new section is the immense admiration and gratitude I feel for Lito Sousa, of the YouTube channel Aviões e Músicas.
I have lost count of how much time I have spent watching one Lito video after another, and I have no idea how many working afternoons were carried along by his lessons.
I always learned a great deal about aviation from him, even without ever having had any interest in the field. I think it was his passion and dedication that won me over and got me following the channel.
After a while, and many hours of aeronautical knowledge picked up along the way, I began to be more critical of news about aviation accidents and incidents. I even took up the habit of trying to explain what had happened to myself first, and then comparing it with Lito's explanation (which I learned was worth more than any story in any newspaper).
Everything I said above is only an attempt to explain the affection and trust I built up over that time. Even without ever having met him in person, I consider Lito one of the most remarkable teachers I have ever had.
For those who do not know, Lito was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and, during treatment, because of numbness in his arm, he received a further diagnosis of inflammation in the brain which, after a number of tests, was found to be Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The full story, as well as the fight his wife Mila is putting up, can be followed in many newspapers. For now, what I would like to bring here is a great and immense thank you to Lito. A big hug to you and your family.
All your dedication to teaching touched me, and I will never again watch a plane going by without remembering your videos.
I wish great strength and comfort to the whole family in such a challenging moment. I am rooting for you.
— MPDev
Sources: CNN Brasil, Poder360, Metrópoles
✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing
