About Vince Leitao

Death   and   grief   are   always   difficult   to   think   and   talk   about,   more   so   when   the   death   is   that   of   one’s   own child.   However,   in   “Jonathan,   do   you   know   me?”   Vince   Leitao   the   author   takes   an   alternative   approach   to death   in   dealing   with   the   loss   of   his   beloved   son.   He   looks   at   death   not   as   the   end   of   life,   but   rather   as passing   through   another   milestone   of   our   soul’s   eternal   journey.   The   author   makes   a   synthesis   of   the teachings   on   death   from   religious,   spiritual   and   cultural   perspectives   through   his   personal   reflections   and study.   The   fruit   of   his   personal   growth   is   this   book,   which   speaks   about   death   in   terms   of   eternal   life, transcendence,   mortality,   relationships,   awareness,   and   consciousness.   In   writing   about   his   experience and   his   deeper   insight   into   death,   pain,   suffering,   and   the   loss   of   his   beloved   son,   the   author   offers   hope and inspiration to those who are grieving.  Vince   Leitao,   father   of   Jonathan,   was   born   in   Goa,   India,   and   now   lives   in   Richmond   Hill,   Canada. After   a successful   career   in   the   pharmaceutical   industry,   Vince   has   transformed   himself   into   an   experiential student   of   grief.   He   explores   and   writes   about   death   and   its   inevitability   while   at   the   same   time   living   life as   fully   as   possible.   He   volunteers   at   the   Hospital   for   Sick   Children   in   Toronto,   and   reaches   out   to   parents who   are   experiencing   loss,   grief   and   pain,   by   witnessing   through   his   own   experience   that   life   does   not   end in   death.   Rather,   life   transcends   the   boundaries   of   time,   space   and   death   itself.   He   has   led   an   effort   to amend   the   Employment   Standards Act   in   Ontario   with   Jonathan’s   Law   –   a   bill   dedicated   to   the   memory   of his   son   that   requests   a   provision   of   a   52-week   bereavement   leave   for   parents   whose   child   dies   of   any cause other than crime. - Raymond Antao We    are    all    affected    by    death,    either    of    a    loved    one    or    our    own.    How    can    we    deal    courageously, authentically   and   spiritually   with   death?   What   can   we   do   when   the   thought   of   death   frightens   us   or   is breaking our heart? If you are walking this difficult path, I hope that my experience will comfort, inspire and enlighten you.  When   my   sixteen-year-old   son,   Jonathan,   was   diagnosed   with   liver   cancer,   my   family,   I   and   countless others   were   praying   for   him   to   be   healed,   sincerely   believing   in   “ Ask,   and   you   will   receive. ”   But   as Jonathan   continued   to   deteriorate   physically,   I   experienced   extreme   grief   and   pain   which   was   transcended by a spiritual awakening: a new realization of God, self, life, death, prayer and immortality.   My   first   book   “ Jonathan,   do   you   know   me? ”   Is   a   recount   of   my   experience   with   my   son   and   the realization of eternal life he helped me attain.  Proceeds    from    this    book    go    to    support    SickKids    Foundation    Toronto    and    it    can    be    purchased    on amazon.com , amazon.ca  , amazon sites in europe as well as here on my website.  The book will make you think and bring you to a realization that death is not what it is made out to be.  May you experience peace, strength and the love of those you love as you walk your path.  Thank you for visiting my website, I hope you find it helpful.  -  Vince Leitao.