Benício, the two-year-old son of Ypiranga forward Gustavo Simões, died on Tuesday, August 4, days after suffering an accident. The Brazilian club confirmed his death and posted a note of condolence on social media, expressing solidarity with the 24-year-old player and his family.
The family said it had authorized the donation of the child's organs.
Mother's tribute
Benício's mother, Letícia Vieira, said in a social media post that the organ donation procedure meant the wake could only be held on Thursday, August 6. She wrote of the pain of losing her son and recalled the joy he brought to those around him, saying she always remembered him in color because he was light wherever he went and colored every place he passed through.
Vieira said she and Gustavo Simões had decided together to donate their son's organs, calling it a gesture of love that could transform many lives. She thanked people for their affection, prayers and understanding during what she called a very difficult moment.
Club's statement
Ypiranga said in an official statement that it had received the news of Benício's death with great sorrow, and that the club had prayed for his recovery from the moment of the accident and his hospitalization. The club expressed its condolences to Gustavo Simões and his family, telling him the club stood with him.
An earlier tribute
In May, Gustavo Simões experienced what he called one of the most memorable moments of his career when he walked onto the field alongside Benício before a match. Afterward, the forward shared a tribute on social media, writing that entering the field with a child is one of those moments that looks simple from the outside but feels enormous inside, and that in that instant, a father's whole world comes down to a small hand holding his tightly.
Benício's wake was held on Thursday at the Capela Mortuária da Lagoa da Conceição in Florianópolis, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. His body was then taken to the Cemitério do Itacorubi, where burial was scheduled between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., subject to confirmation.
