There are lots of books written about how, instead of connecting us, new technologies have somehow created an even greater abyss. How they have gradually pulled us all away from the sense of who we are and what really matters. Yet, as always, there are some exceptions, and Daniel’s story could be one of them.
This man had an incredibly strong bond with his Labrador, so when she suddenly passed away, Daniel came up with an idea to protect this precious memory from eventually being lost in time.
More info: Daniel Esparza
Daniel Esparza created a virtual scenario where he can revisit his late furry friend any time
A Labrador called Sam meant the entire world to Daniel. Their beautiful, inseparable friendship lasted more than a decade.
“She was a Labrador, very cute and intelligent,” the man shared. “She was my companion for almost 13 years,” he added.
Last year, due to her old age and health issues, Sam passed away, leaving an unbearably hurtful gap in Daniel’s chest.
“She had a problem in her brain because of her age,” she explained. “We were supposed to have one last trip to the beach for vacation, but her health didn’t let us make it. She fell asleep one day and didn’t wake up,” Daniel recalled as one of the saddest moments of his life.
Even though the pair couldn’t make their last trip, the man came up with an idea so he could still share that moment with her regardless.
Since Daniel works professionally in the burgeoning field of virtual reality technology, prior to his dog’s passing, he used his equipment to create a 3D scan of her sleeping, which allowed him to later build a virtual world for himself and Sam to commune within.
“I made a 3D scan of my dog Sam a couple of years ago. She passed away 7 month ago, I still miss her a lot. I still visit her in this beach scene I made in @UnrealEngine in VR because our last trip was supposed to be a little vacation on a beach, but her health didn’t let us go,” was written next to Daniel’s shared video on October 31, 2023.
In a short clip, people can see a beautiful sunny beach where Sam is serenely curled up in the middle of countless white and purple flower blossoms.
“It feels like a window to the past,” Daniel said. “It makes me feel happy to know that I can remember her when I grow older, when my memory may not be the best. I know she is gonna be in my heart, and in these memories,” he added.
A Labrador called Sam was Daniel’s companion for almost 13 years
Daniel’s story reminded me of a wonderful documentary called The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, which is also an astonishing example of the positive side of new technologies.
In the documentary, Norwegian couple Robert and Trude Steen talk about their disabled son and his secret online life inside the World of Warcraft game that they never knew about.
Their son Mats was born with a rare degenerative muscular disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a condition that causes skeletal and heart muscle weakness that quickly worsens with time.
The boy spent almost his entire life in a wheelchair, disconnected from the real world, and always playing online. Mats’s parents were very sad about the entire situation because they knew that their son wouldn’t be able to experience much of what other young people his age did, such as socializing, friendship, or love.
“He passed away having suffered quite severely from the disease that he was born with. And we believed that he lived a lonely and isolated life, without experiencing love or being important or making a difference in the lives of other people, because that is all we saw,” Mats’s parents shared.
Yet, little did they know that in a virtual, distant world called Azeroth, their son’s chains were broken and he could be whomever he wanted to.
The turning point was the day after Mats’s passing, when Robert and Trude inserted a small post into their son’s blog, saying that he’d passed away. Immediately afterward, the couple received countless emails telling of strong relationships with Mats and how using an avatar helped their son experience what he couldn’t in his physical life.
While virtual life is far from reality, it can still bring comfort to share a virtual space with someone you love so much, and who’s still very real in your heart.
Daniel can’t bring his best friend back, but at least he can revisit his most precious memory with her any time he needs to.
People found Daniel’s idea to relive the most precious memory beautiful and very touching
