LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – With his 70-year-old grandmother constantly reminding him that life is a gift from God, 11-year-old Jack Boyet Padilla grew up inspiring himself and his relatives, friends and playmates despite his congenital defects – deformed hand and feet.
Jack, now a sixth grader at a Montessori school in Albay, lost his father before he was born. Wenifredo Padilla II was an Army sergeant who died in an ambush by rebels in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro on March 21, 2003, two months before his wife Rosemarie gave birth.
“I was so shocked that I became hysterical when I heard the news,” Jack’s grandmother Sylvia Padilla told The STAR, recalling the time 11 years ago when her eldest son’s superiors called to break the tragic news.
She had lost a dear son to the cruelty of war, and he died fighting for flag and country.
Worse, it happened at a time when his wife was expecting the birth of Jack.
“We don’t know if his congenital deformities happened because of the stress his pregnant mother experienced from the sudden death of my soldier-son,” she told The STAR.
After giving birth, Jack’s mother left for her hometown in Burgos, Tarlac with Jack’s sister Kathleen, now 13. Jack was left to his grandmother’s care.
“My husband and I did not stop her from leaving him with us because we knew that she was still emotionally unstable owing to the sudden death of my son,” Lola Sylvia said.
Juggling her time between raising Jack and teaching in high school, she had a difficult time as he often suffered from convulsions as a baby.
“There were instances when I would break down in tears whenever Jack had chills due to convulsions. I just prayed very hard to God to help me take care of my grandson,” she added.
Ultimately, the situation forced her to retire early from her teaching job in 2004.
“I had to do it so I could give full-time attention to Jack because of his physical condition,” she said.
A year later, it was as if the world caved in when after losing her son, Sylvia lost her husband Wenifredo Padilla Sr., a school principal, in a vehicular accident when his service motorcycle figured in a head-on collision with a food company van in Oas town.
She came close to giving up because of the twin tragedies that befell her family.
Fortunately, all her fears and worries were doused and slowly turned into admiration for young Jack, who didn’t let his syndactyle right hand and clubfeet get in the way of his childhood.
“Despite his handicap, he had a very good disposition and was active in school. He even leads school activities, including their intrams,” she said.
Lola Sylvia is glad that all her guiding words have helped make her grandson very confident in dealing with other people.
Jack’s class adviser John Michael Manjares echoes Lola’s observations.
“Jack is a very good dancer and even a fast runner despite his physical defect,” Manjares said.
Manjares said their school, the Our Lady of Roses Montessori School in Oas, Albay, is so proud of Jack because his positive outlook in life serves as an inspiration to his classmates and friends.
Lola Sylvia is thankful that HERO Foundation assisted in the operation of Jack’s deformed right hand at the V. Luna Hospital in 2011.
HERO, which stands for Help Educate and Rear Orphans, also provides Jack educational assistance in the form of a stipend since he is a dependent of a Filipino soldier killed in action.
However, to totally restore his right hand, Jack is in need of another operation.
“I want to play music on the organ. It makes me feel so relaxed,” he told The STAR. The organ was a gift from broadcast journalist Ces Drilon.
Although his clubfeet remain a handicap, Jack says he doesn’t feel any different from other children.
With the help of donors and the HERO Foundation, he is now looking forward to a career as a veterinarian as he feels an affinity with animals.
Lola Sylvia narrates a story of Jack befriending a stray dog that had become aggressive and would chase people.
“When Jack called the dog and fed it, he managed to tame it. Since then, he said he wanted to become a doctor of animals,” she recounted.
Lola Sylvia said that she would devote her life to look after her grandson for as long as she could.
For information on HERO Foundation Inc., visit herofoundation.com.ph.
(Editor’s Note: The Philippine STAR’s #28StoriesOfGiving is a campaign that turns the spotlight on 28 inspiring stories of people and organizations who devote their lives to helping themselves or others. Everyone is encouraged to post or tweet a message of support with the hashtag, #28StoriesOfGiving. For every post, P5.00 will be added to The STAR’s existing ‘give back’ anniversary fund. For comments and suggestions to #28storiesofgiving, email contactus@philstar.com.ph follow @philippinestar on Twitter or visit The Philippine STAR’s page on Facebook.)