Page 141 - Magnesium-based supports for stem cell therapy of vascular disease - Mónica Echeverry Rendón

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
English versión
Every stage in the cycle of life should end with a pause to collect, to forgive, to thank, to correct and to continue. Perhaps this is one of the most important chapters of this book in which I recognize the incredible people who ac- companied me in this beautiful doctoral process.
Some time ago, I do not remember very well where or when, I heard a metaphor in which life was compared to a train trip. We are passengers who leave from a station en route a destination, a state, a goal. Parts of the trip are relatively simple, without many stops or ups and downs. There are other itineraries that are more complex and dynamic, in the end what makes the traveler is not the destination but the trip itself.
A little over four years ago, I began an adventure, which ends today with this book. Today, the first thing I want to do is to give infinite thanks to the driver of my train; God thank you for allowing me to always feel your company and presence, for allowing me to get here with good mileage and with a suitcase full of experiences and unforgettable moments. Thanks because when I thought that I couldn’t continue, you put me in the presence of people, situations or magical places that made me recover my peace.
During the development and execution of the project, I was always supported by the best working team, guided by my tutors, Prof. Felix Echeverria and Prof. Marco Harmsen. These two figures are the yin and the yang, so different but so similar at the same time, always complementary. Thank you for your trust and for allowing me to grow by your side. You trusted my vision, allowed me to be myself, to find my way and mature in science. Thank you, because you never imposed your own agendas on me, you always listened to me and extended your hands when everything seemed lost. After working with a rational and structured engineer and with a beautifully chaotic and dreamer biologist I have seen the incredible benefits that interdisciplinary cooperation can lend to science.
Prof Felix, I don’t have enough words to thank you. All the acts of confidence and unconditional support that you gave me, not only in during my PhD but as long as I have known you, have helped me reach my goals today. You have been a fundamental piece in my training process; your moderation, your intelligence, the critical and analytical ways in which you approach problems have always been the product of my admiration. I thank you because I never received a “NO” from you; no matter how crazy my ideas were, you always supported me and gave me the confidence to keep going. You never gave up on the project, something that would have been a challenge for anyone. Prof Mar- co, I still remember the day I met you at the ISCOMS congress, we immediately hit it off, our energies are completely compatible and many times we did not need words to communicate, a look, a smile and we already knew what we thought. I think you are the most atypical and fabulous Dutch person that I know. Thank you for the hugs and the good energies that you gave me in Groningen, they always helped me raise my head and look beyond those things that overwhelmed me; the weather, magnesium or loneliness. Thank you for our weekly Wednesday 4pm meetings, where we were always able to solve with some coffee or an ice cream. Many thanks also for the confidence and for supporting my decisions to establish new cooperative relationships and to undertake new projects.
This beautiful journey of my great trip had two very important destinations. My first years were in Colombia in the CIDEMAT group, there I started my exploratory work with an incredible team directed by Luisa Berrio, a great partner with whom I faced the first frustrations of working with magnesium. To Robinson Aguirre our undergraduate stu- dent assigned to the project who then he would be replaced by Valentina Duque; Robinson, it has been beautiful to see you grow and progress, thank you for your support in the project and in the manufacturing of the samples to be evaluated. Thanks for your patience and for tolerating my fears of chemicals and electricity. Thank you for opening your heart and letting me see the sensitive and charismatic man you are. Valentina you cannot imagine the gratitude and fondness that I have for you, you were an extension of my hands in Colombia. Your discipline and dedication were a fundamental piece of the project. Now it is my turn to be next to you and I feel so happy that I can contribute to your formation. You have become a very important part of me and you know that you count on me, I predict a bright future full of opportunities for you. Thank you for always being there for me.
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