We can introduce Sese and Cristina as “the Caños»“ uncles. Yes, that family that went viral on social media thanks to a short video in which they sing a cover of Ana Mena’s song ”Lady and the Tramp«—a video that’s been a hit because of the authenticity of their performance and the joy they show while singing. We’re talking about the video that former soccer player Gerard Piqué said »this content should be paid content,“ and which has racked up millions of views. One of the brothers, Javi, also sang in the music video for the Pope’s anthem ”Alza la mirada” during his visit to Spain.
But Sese and Cristina have a story that perfectly captures the spirit of their nephews and of all the “Caño” family members—a spirit that far surpasses the aura their nephews project. It all began when Cristina was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis—a disease that appeared suddenly and progressed rapidly in a very short time. That didn’t stop her from marrying her boyfriend, Sese, and eventually having four children with him.
Here at the Omnes newsroom, we had the opportunity to interview this wonderful family and hear—in their own words—this story of selflessness.
Cristina, Sese, how did you two meet? How did you start dating? What did you see in each other?
–We met during the 2001–2002 school year at a neighborhood library. At the time, I was studying in Villanueva and doing an internship at a savings bank, and Cris was finishing high school.
It took two years before we started dating. During that time, we saw each other almost every day, and we became very close friends—the best kind, the kind who share everything and know everything about each other.
A single glance was enough for us to understand each other, but it was just a great friendship since Cristina had a boyfriend, and I was in between relationships, too.
For us, our friendship was the most important thing, but the truth is that something else was gradually growing inside us, and there came a point when we realized that those glances meant more than just a deep friendship—we liked each other! It had already turned into love.
Cristina, tell us a little about yourself…
–I attended school in Senara from age 3 to 18, then earned an advanced certificate in laboratory and clinical analysis at a vocational training center in the neighborhood. After that, I completed a master’s degree in chiromassage. Currently, my husband and children are my top priority. My dream is for our life together to be as happy as possible—by helping them, teaching them, and loving my husband more and better every day. To make that happen, I’m asking to recover a little, so that this happiness can grow stronger each day.
Cristina, when you received the diagnosis of your illness, what were those first moments like? How has it affected you?
–I have a companion on this journey named EM (Multiple Sclerosis). This disease first made itself known when I was 20, with optic neuritis in my left eye. The flare-ups were recurrent at first—one or two a year—but they gradually increased to several a year. In 2008–2009, the disease accelerated, and my other eye and my limbs were affected.
When I got married, I was already practically blind, and my right arm and left leg were severely affected. Eleven years ago, I had a lumbar flare-up that left me in a wheelchair. Since then, I’ve been doing a lot of physical therapy, and I never stop fighting to get back on my feet—or at least to stay as strong as possible.
Since 2023, I’ve also had another new condition (which kept me in the ICU for 10 months and on the general ward for 3) that affects my diaphragm, called Leeuwenhoke syndrome or diaphragmatic flutter.
What does it consist of?
–There are very rapid and intense random movements in my diaphragm, which cause me a great deal of pain and prevent me from speaking and breathing normally, requiring BiPAP (ventilatory support for inhaling and exhaling) and oxygen (with or without oxygen depending on the severity of the episode) at the same time. It has left me with significant aftereffects; I have lost the ability to swallow. Therefore, I have to eat through a PEG (a tube that goes directly into my stomach to feed me) because I cannot do so on my own.
At first, Sese wasn’t quite sure what the disease was all about; she’d heard of multiple sclerosis because the guy who ran a bar in the neighborhood had it, and he walked with a cane. I, on the other hand, was much more aware of what was happening to me because I’d studied it, but I didn’t want her to find out just how serious it was all at once….
The news hit me like a bucket of cold water; I even went so far as to ask Sese to leave me because I didn’t want her to be unhappy because of me or to suffer the consequences that I knew the illness would bring… and she responded by taking me to Paris to ask for my hand in marriage.
And you, Sese, what did you study, and where? What do you do for a living?
–I completed high school and enrolled in a business administration and management program at a private university. I completed my first year there and then transferred to a public university to study business. I ended up dropping out of college, although I did take some of the courses mentioned earlier to earn a professional certificate.
I currently run a small direct-sales business where we give live demonstrations of the world’s best air cleaning and purification system. I make the sales calls myself and train others so they can do the same. I really enjoy this job because I believe in my product, and it allows me to meet and connect with many people. That gives me the opportunity to leave my own small mark and bring theirs into many homes. I like feeling that I’m contributing in some way to improving people’s lives, and when our customers feel the same way, it’s very rewarding.
Cristina, Sese, how many children do you have? How long did it take for the first one to arrive? How did you come to make such a generous decision to have four children?
–Despite all the predictions and advice against having children, it was what we wanted most, and we were certain that if God willed it, we would become parents.
After a severe flare-up, we mentioned it to the doctor, and he told us that it was the best time to do so because it could become more complicated later on—both due to the flare-ups and the medication—and that right after a flare-up, it was less likely to have another one right away.
Carlos is finally here! Two years after we got married—so beloved, so longed for, so deeply desired….
In 2014, two years after Carlos, Manu arrived (in the meantime, there had been a miscarriage).
Nacho was born in 2017; he has stunning eyes, and he was a great kid. Fran was born in 2018, and he was always a very independent child.
All that said, and to sum it up, in answer to the question of why we made such a generous decision, the truth is that we had talked about having six children when we were dating. We knew for sure that we wanted—for ourselves and for our children—to experience the joy found in large families, like the ones we had grown up in.
Sese, as the father of a large family, a business owner, and the one taking care of Cristina, how do you manage? Where do you find the strength?
–Well, I don’t think I do anything exceptional. I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in a family where I’ve seen my parents and older siblings give of themselves with infinite generosity, and I’ve seen how the sacrifices they make have meaning.
I didn't get to know Cristina's father very well because he passed away shortly after we started dating, but in Elisa, my mother-in-law, I also see every day that immense generosity of self-sacrifice and that joy that you can only experience by serving others.
I feel deeply blessed by the woman whom, I am certain, God brought into the world to be my wife.
What overall message would you convey to society?
–Life is meant to be lived to the fullest. We all face obstacles, fears, worries, and reasons for both sadness and joy. We all have to ask for forgiveness and forgive others. But as the song “Alza la mirada” by VIVAFE says, we aren’t meant to look down at the ground.
Finally, Sese, how did you feel when you found out about the viral video of your nephews?
–At first, I heard about them through a friend and in the family group chat, and since they’re always singing and are just so awesome, I said, “Man, they’re just the best…” (but I didn’t know yet that they’d gone viral)… I’m not really into social media.
In their daily lives, those moments arise spontaneously, with an air of simplicity and joy. They sing wonderfully, and they're really great people. I think that's precisely why they've had such an impact—because it's natural, and people are drawn to what's natural and sincere.
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