Paulo Clemente, born in Vila Real and resident in Luxembourg since the age of two, worked for 17 years as a truck driver, a profession he described as his dream job. At 37, he began to experience the first difficulties, such as difficulty climbing stairs, especially when carrying his son in his arms. After about five years of medical consultations without definitive answers, an assessment at the Hospital of Strasbourg, in France, pointed to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a rare muscle disease characterized by progressive weakness in the muscles near the hips and shoulders.
Despite the worsening of the disease, Paulo tried to hide his condition to avoid early retirement, managing to keep the situation secret for about a year when he joined a new company. However, he ended up suffering three falls at work and, after the last one was witnessed by colleagues, he was sent to the occupational doctor, who deemed him unfit to drive. He left the trucks with great difficulty and tried other roles, including office work at a transport company, but after three months a new medical assessment concluded he could no longer work eight hours a day.
At 47, unable to find an alternative that would allow him to remain active, Paulo saw his professional life end and began receiving a disability pension. This benefit, awarded in Luxembourg to people under 65 who have lost the capacity to carry out an activity suited to their abilities, caused a significant reduction in his income, dropping from a salary above the qualified minimum social wage to a lower amount. He also receives an additional support of 150 euros associated with the genetic nature of the disease. After his divorce, he returned to his parents' home in Larochette, while still bearing charges for a property he purchased in the Torres Vedras region.