Vandolph’s near-death experience

Curtain-raisers:

• First, a correction (called in by Lyn Ynchausti-Cruz, wife of Tirso Cruz III): Pinky de Leon and her American lawyer-boyfriend Derek Ledda are not yet married as wrongly mentioned in last Sunday’s yearender story (Goodbye, Snake; hello, Horse!).

• A million thanks to Ramon "RJ" Jacinto of DZRJ (100.3 FM) for those 39 hours of non-stop Beatles songs (from noontime of Dec. 31 to one hour past midnight of Jan. 2). Thousands of Beatlemaniacs from all over the country responded by phone and joined the hour-by-hour Beatles-trivia contest. More of the same stuff, please, RJ!

• Those who want to be a millionaire will have to wait until Feb. 10. You see, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (WW2BAM, hosted by Christopher de Leon) has been on an annual break since Dec. 27 (until Feb. 9). This is to assure WW2BAM followers that nobody has filed an "injunction" against the show.

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Yes, while Vandolph was "sleeping" (in coma for one month following that car-accident in Pangasinan), you and I have been wondering what was on his mind. Or was Vandolph, having been unconscious, "thinking" at all while fast "asleep"? Was his memory taking flight?

Somebody close to Vandolph’s family related to Funfare that Vandolph went through the familiar experience told by people on the brink of death as having seen that "blinding light" yonder, beckoning them to cross that critical dividing line. It was Vandolph himself, now that he has sprung from coma, who recalled that near-death experience.

"You know what, Mama," Vandolph was said to have told his mom, Alma Moreno, "I saw a very, very bright light but when I went near it, an angel (male, of course) appeared and told me, ‘Go back!’ That light was blinding bright (nakakasilaw na liwanag)."

That "blinding" incident happened at the time Vandolph’s girlfriend, Desiree "Ishi" Raquiza, was giving up her own battle for survival, not having woken up from coma. At the precise moment Vandolph was seeing that "blinding light," his temperature shot up to an alarming 40 degrees.

Later, a group of spirit questors told Vandolph’s Kuya Eric Quizon that they "saw" Vandolph’s spirit running after that of Ishi (this was right after Ishi died) but Ishi, or her spirit, stopped Vandolph, telling him, "Go back, it’s not your time yet. You haven’t finished your mission on earth."

Until now, Vandolph hasn’t been told yet what happened to Ishi although he’s showing signs that he knows, having told Alma one time, "Mama, you know something but you’re keeping it from me." Vandolph’s recollection is limited to the time of the accident; he has been vocal about his knowledge of that tragic incident, but beyond that, his mind seems to have gone blank.

Now undergoing therapy, Vandolph might be brought to the States for further therapy and treatment as soon as he’s strong enough. Eric is currently vacationing in the States and he’s looking for the right doctors for Vandolph.

Alma, Vandolph’s dad Dolphy, stepmother Zsa Zsa Padilla and the rest of the clan credit Vandolph’s recovery to God. "It’s a miracle," they said, and Vandolph’s doctors at Makati Med agreed, while at the same time acknowledging the doctors at the Pangasinan hospital where Vandolph and Ishi (and their companions) were rushed after the accident. The Pangasinan doctors did a good job on Vandolph (and, needless to say, the other victims), thus saving Vandolph’s extremeties (especially his legs).

Alma, Dolphy, Zsa Zsa and the whole clan want to thank those who have prayed and continue to pray for Vandolph’s recovery and for being there when they needed friends and sympathizers.

Incidentally, Dolor Guevarra (a close friend of the clan) asked me to check who Vandolph’s Guardian Angel is (Vandolph’s birthday is May 7). Dolor believed that he could be the angel that Vandolph saw in that "blinding light" experience. When I consulted the book Who’s Your Guardian Angel? by Veronique Jarry, I developed goose pimples. Vandolph’s Guardian Angel is Aladiah who’s said to "govern the power of healing, physically and morally… and helps his protégés to maintain good health."

Like Kris Aquino, whose son Joshua was "saved" by his own Guardian Angel (Hariel) from serious injuries when his mom’s Expidition ran over him in August last year, Vandolph’s family are convinced that Vandolph’s Guardian Angel helped him move away from that intriguingly inviting "blinding light."

Inspiring text message

Like everybody else, I’ve been receiving all sorts of Christmas and New Year text messages. By far the most inspiring and most beautiful is this one:

This New Year, let us, like birds, leave behind what we don’t need to carry – grudges, sadness, pain, tears and regrets. Fly light. Life is beautiful.

Thanks to whoever passed on to me that message which everybody should heed. Thank you, "mysterious" sender (0917-8317125).