Marian visits cancer patient

It was the best laid-out plan at one point, but went kaput at the 11th hour. 

This whole chapter began last Sept. 8 during the blessing of the newly-renovated cancer ward of the Children’s Hospital (also known as Lungsod ng Kabataan). It was Dr. Vicki Belo’s project and was carried out under the Ike and Nena Foundation that she had set up in honor of her parents.

After the rites, I toured the wards and met some of the young cancer patients. One of them was Marian Velasco, whose one dream is to see in person her idol and namesake, Marian Rivera. I duly reported the young girl’s wish in this column in the hope that it would reach Ms. Rivera (we may both be working for the same network, but we have our own lives and are not necessarily always in touch with each other).

I didn’t have to count days because I got a call immediately from Marian Rivera’s manager, Popoy Caritativo. Marian was obviously touched by the story (she has a soft spot in her heart for children) and wanted to meet up with her tocaya. Popoy needed the details and I told him I was going to arrange it and to wait for me to get back to him.

Soon after, it was Marian herself who was calling me up. That instant I sensed her genuine desire to reach out to the younger Marian. As I would later find out from other people, she had already met up with other young cancer patients in the past and tries to find time for them. (She also donates wheelchairs to invalids.)

There is only one problem: Her schedule. You have to understand that this woman hardly knows sleep and is up to here with work. On the phone, Marian and I tried to figure out what would be the best day for her to visit the Children’s Hospital. We settled on a Tuesday since that is when she tapes Show Me Da Manny. It is a comedy and that is the lightest of all her acting jobs — unlike in the very demanding soap opera Endless Love where just the other night, I saw her on TV get punched in the stomach by the villain Gabby Eigenmann (don’t be scared of him — he is the nicest guy in the world).

Best of all, the taping of Show Me Da Manny is only in the GMA 7 studio, which is a short drive from the Children’s Hospital at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Agham.

She originally wanted it the other Tuesday, except that I had to leave the country. We agreed to do the hospital visit last Tuesday, Sept. 28.

But given her very erratic schedule, our plan had to be worked out efficiently because, well, this is showbiz where people take it from day to day. You have to remember that she also has to coordinate her schedule with her co-stars, who are also just as busy. Last Monday, I was on the phone with Popoy again and he made arrangements with Show Me executive producer Ali Nocum to excuse Marian “even just for a short while.” Ali — bless her — gave Marian permission to leave the taping to make a quick trip to the hospital on the day we set the visit.

When everything had been ironed out, I decided to call Dr. Cecilia Cruz of the Children’s Hospital to inform her of Marian’s visit. The doktora had been on leave, but she made a call to the hospital right away to tell the parents of Marian Velasco about our “surprise” for their daughter.

The world almost collapsed on me when Dr. Cruz texted me back: Marian Velasco had been discharged just the day before. Poor girl! During the blessing of the ward, she told me that aside from Marian Rivera, she also wanted to meet Regine Velasquez. Regine was at the event, all right. But tough luck. Hers was the one ward Regine didn’t get to visit (there are several wards there and it wasn’t possible for the Songbird to check out each one).

On the day of the scheduled visit to the hospital, Dr. Cruz and I tried to work out the possibility of bringing Marian Rivera to Caloocan where the Velascos live. But I myself decided against it because traffic would surely do us in. Heck, it took me an hour to get to GMA 7 from the traffic capital of the Philippines — Greenhills. Bringing Marian Rivera to Caloocan would surely pose a lot of production problems and delay taping, especially since they were doing two episodes last Tuesday.

When I fetched Marian from the Show Me set, she was disappointed to find out that she wouldn’t be meeting her namesake. But I told her that the other patients would surely want to see her. She’d be making a lot more youngsters happy, in fact.

“But do they actually want to see me?” There was this bit of worry in her voice since she knew too well that it was her tocaya who was requesting for her. At that very moment, I was happy to discover that she still has both feet on the ground. Imagine the most popular female star of this country having that kind of apprehension. Clearly, humility is still one virtue she carries despite her fame. Superstardom hasn’t eaten her up yet. No delusions of grandeur — and certainly no big ego.

Are you kidding? — I told her. Kahit ako pinagtitiyagaan nila (they make do even with me) when I visit.

And so, along with her handler Jackie Sabusido, off we went to the hospital and on the way I noticed her excitement. Whatever fear she had about not being wanted there was easily assuaged when she entered the ward and the patients’ eyes all lit up upon seeing her. They knew her from way back in Marimar. Suddenly, the ward came to life and it was Christmas in September not only for the kid patients, but also for their parents who were all thrilled to see Marian.

She tried to check out each patient, but stayed longest with 12-year old Grace Joy Vizcarra, who is a huge Marian Rivera fan. Grace couldn’t believe that she was with her screen idol at that point. I also took a good look at Marian and saw the twinkle in her eyes. Her smile clearly came from her heart and it was obvious that she was enjoying herself there at the Children’s Hospital — in the company of the young cancer patients. She even carried in her arms one and a half year-old John-John Castro, who is my baby there.

In time, we had to wind up the visit since there was another Show Me episode waiting to be shot and the cast and crew were on standby (thank you people for lending us Marian!).

After she left, I had a talk with Dr. Cruz and admin head Fe Sistebeno and I was told that Marian’s visit that day was much appreciated by everyone. According to Dr. Cruz, although her approach in treating patients is always from the medical side, she also believes that these celebrity visits in hospitals bring hope and inspire patients to fight their battle with the Big C. They’ll never forget Marian Rivera for that kind gesture.

As for the other Marian — the young patient Marian Velasco — we haven’t given up on that project. We will still find a way to make the two Marians meet — in God’s time.

In His perfect time.

For those who wish to send help to the children’s cancer ward of the Children’s Hospital, please call 924-6601 loc. 314.