Nelo's story

I met Nelo a few weeks ago when I ran into him playing his Sax outside Shepperd's Bush Station. Unfortunately, you see a lot of that in London, but there were two things that strike me the most about him. First, he was playing his music with a very powerful emotion and his eyes wide shut, that caught my initial attention. And secondly, next to him there was a sign saying he was doing it for his sick wife. I approached him and we talked (communicating in a mix of bad English, Italian and Spanish), and he connected me to his daughter whom I met a week later.

When I met Alina I found out that the situation for them is very hard. She's the only one in the family with a full time job at a hotel, and she's not even making the minimum living wage. She has to support her dad, her mum and her 9 year old daughter, all on her own. Nelo's pention was cut to £200 a month and her mum is paralysed after a brain disorder. On top of this, Nelo has been sick of his stomach after a surgery he went through in the past and he's in constant pain, but he hasn't been able to attend a GP, because not having a proof of address doesn't allow him to get a NIN. Alina is trying to fix this but playing in the streets makes it even worst for him. He's in pain even doing the thing he loves the most.

He's the youngest kid of his family and learned to play music 44 years ago. Despite the clear expression of pain he showed the entire time we talked, I finally get some smiles out of him when we start talking about music. Alina's translation is no longer necessary when he starts mentioning Louis Armstrong or Charlie Parker. More excitement comes with Harry Belafonte and Fausto Papetti and he talks about Sinatra as the greatest of the great. Music still plays his part, helping this 67 year old guy through.

We're starting this fundraising to help him stay out of that corner in the street playing just to get some change. If you have read this far I truly hope this story impacts you as much as it did me. Let's help Nelo play his Sax for joy and not for change. The way it should be.

Keep it up nelo. La Vita E' Una Ruota

Thanks everyone for your help.