The mayor of San Bartolomé, Alexis Tejera, has made public that he has been suffering symptoms of a serious illness for a year, which "pending a definitive diagnosis" could be ALS. Tejera wanted to personally inform the residents through a public letter, in which he makes it clear that he feels "strong" and that "as long as he can", he will continue in office, "with all the love and vocation in the world."
"In May 2019, I ran in the elections and faced that process with all the enthusiasm and commitment with which a person who loves their municipality could do it. I want to start this letter by emphasizing that my election as mayor has been an honor for me, a privilege, one of the greatest gifts that life has given me.
Being aware of the enormous responsibility and the many sacrifices that this position would entail, I took that step and did it for the love I feel for the town where I was born, the place where my whole life and that of my family has taken place, the place where my son was born.
I also did it for my unwavering commitment to the socialist values in which I believe and for which I have fought, those rights and freedoms on which a democracy that is built day after day is based.
Today I am addressing all of you to inform you that, pending a definitive diagnosis, the symptoms with which I have been living for more than a year and the medical tests that have been carried out reveal that I suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease known as ALS. This disease has no consequences at a cognitive level, but physically muscle weakness becomes evident, which is why I consider this letter necessary.
I have decided to make it public for several reasons. The first, the need for my neighbors to know what is happening to me. Another important reason that made me sit down to write these lines is the transparency that I owe to the entire Corporation and municipal workers. It was important for me not to keep this matter in the strictly private sphere any longer.
As of today, I am clear that, as long as I can, I will continue with this beautiful and noble responsibility that you all gave me on May 27, 2019. I feel strong enough to do it and I am lucky to have the full support of my family, friends and colleagues.
Being on the street and meeting my people day after day is what has made me happiest in a long time. Now it is time to redouble efforts and try to combine it with my care.
I will continue fighting and, in the meantime, I will continue to defend tooth and nail the right to quality essential public services. I am a member of the PSOE, among many reasons, for the staunch defense of our universal and free healthcare system, and today I must say that I never imagined the magnitude of its importance, the quality and professionalism of its workers.
I cannot express in words the gratitude I feel for the attention of doctors, physiotherapists, therapists, speech therapists and other specialists who are treating me. The pandemic has already shown us the vital role that public health plays and the urgency of investing in science. I hope that my status as a public person will humbly contribute to making rare or unknown diseases visible and to raising awareness of the need to increase efforts in research to achieve effective treatments.
I do not want to end this letter without failing to value my work group and also the work of each and every one of the municipal employees. San Bartolomé works thanks to the great team of councilors, technicians and workers that surround me. They are the only ones worthy of all the praise that I receive daily for our management.
I don't know how much time this disease will give me to continue performing the responsibility of being mayor of the municipality where I was born, but I assure you that whatever it is, I will continue to live it with all the love and vocation in the world.
I must also say that this will never be an end; it is the continuity of a management model that began in this municipality fourteen years ago and that has more future than ever. The imprint of our project is going to stay, it will transcend myself and also those who come, because we are really managing to change things, to move towards a better municipality. There is still a way to go and important actions to complete, and I want to insist that I am going to continue working at the head of this project of which we are all part.
On June 15, 2019, when I picked up the baton of command of the municipality, I said that politics is about making people happy. Nothing that can happen would make me change that perception.
Thank you for all the support, for the understanding and, above all, thank you for the trust."
