At first glance, the three precocious brothers Jobo, 13, Juncen, 7, and Jayvee, 6, seemed like normal healthy kids – playful, restless, stress-free and nonchalant to the perils of the world. But as I looked closer, I saw their many bruises and felt the pain they bore in silence. For the siblings, life with severe hemophilia A is a battle.
Hemophilia A is an inherited blood disorder wherein the slightest bump could lead to excessive internal bleeding. Without treatment, a person with severe hemophilia A can bleed to death. To relieve the excruciating pain, Factor VIII must be injected into the child. According to the boys’ attending physician, Dr. Edwin Rodriguez, who joined them on the trip, each vial costs P3,600; and many vials a day are needed. Without this expensive medication, the child has to tolerate the pain as he lives with this life-threatening sickness.
Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation – an international non-profit organization whose goal is to grant the most fervent desires of children with life-threatening illnesses – these kids were able to feel that they were the most important persons in the world, even for a moment. The MAW foundation strives to provide the wish child and his/her family with special memories of joy and laughter at the most stressful time in the child’s life.
The Philippines is the 20th country to join the organization which has granted every wish imaginable: riding a hot air balloon, being a princess for a day, meeting a favorite celebrity and even meeting the Pope in the Vatican. (Last Tuesday, 15-year-old leukemia wish kid Noel Macaraeg and his family were flown to the Vatican to attend the canonization rites of Blessed Jose Maria Escriva.)
Make A Wish Philippines, through the courtesy of Secretary Mar Roxas and the Gerry Roxas Foundation, with the cooperation of Governor Vicente Bermejo, Mayor Antonio del Rosario, City Tourism Office led by Bo Bediones and Boy Aguirre, Councilor Mark Ortiz and all the other gracious Capizeños granted its milestone 100th wish of the Vitugs to visit Roxas City. The wish team led by Nizzi Regalado, Mari Swa, Tonton Gatmaitan and Mike Alimurung were billeted at the cabañas of the Gerry Roxas Resource Center and Convention Hall.
Jobo exclaimed, "I am so happy to be back in Roxas City after five long years. My happiest memories of childhood were spent here. How I miss those annual vacations my family and I used to spend here with Lolo Jose which we can no longer afford."
The boy added, "I cried and cried the first time I saw my Lolo Jose again. I remembered how he would personally drive me to school when I was in grade one. I always raced to get the front seat of the car so Lolo advised me to wake up early because the early bird gets the worm."
Lolo Jose was overcome with joy. He enthused, "When someone from Secretary Mar Roxas’ office knocked at my front door and told me there was a group who wanted to fulfill my grandsons’ wish to see me thus he had to confirm that I existed, I was reluctant to believe that this kind of goodness still existed in the world. I only believed that it was a bona fide foundation when I finally saw the MAW delegation on Friday. I thank them and am truly enlightened with the wish granting experience."
For most of his life, Lolo Jose, a lawyer by profession, gave free legal advice and handled criminal cases pro bono while his late wife, who was a dentist, also gave her dental services free of charge. He helped defray the medical expenses of the grandchildren but when expenses for his prostate cancer increased, the boys’ annual month-long family vacations to Capiz had to stop. This explains the deep longing of the eldest Vitug child Jobo to be reunited with his loving grandpa.
I observed the touching bonding of the Vitugs at the special dinner held at the residence of Secretary Mar Roxas where Juncen and Jayvee also received their wishes for a PlayStation and Gameboy.
"Five years ago when we came to Roxas City, my nose bled so hard," Juncen related. "My parents couldn’t find the Factor VIII medication that I needed, so we had to fly back to Manila and end our summer vacation right away." Jayvee quickly added, "With this PlayStation, perhaps Juncen’s nose won’t bleed that much because my brothers and I won’t be running around and playing outside. We will always play with our new PlayStation and Gameboy."
Lolo Jose tearfully said what a delightful treasure it is to be reunited with his grandchildren and family. If only there was ample medication in Capiz, he would want Jobo to stay behind. Jobo, on the other hand, said, "I want to take care of my Lolo, make sure he takes his medicines on time and eats properly."
This reminded me of the movie Pay it Forward, which is about a third grader whose idea on how to change the world goes like this: If you do an act of kindness to anyone (whether it be giving food, shelter, clothing) you don’t ask to be paid back; instead you ask the benefactor of your deed to pass on his own act of kindness to someone in need and "pay it forward." For Lolo Jose, who did good works all his life, the acts of kindness have come full circle.
It was good to be back in my late mother’s (Mila Salgado Dayrit) hometown. Under the moonlit sky, I walked on the Baybay beach where I spent many summers as a child and reflected on the experiences the Vitug brothers are bravely battling. There must be hundreds of other children out there with big dreams and little time – children we could make happy even for a moment. Let us join hands and create miracles for these children. After all, Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
It is worthwhile to remember MAW Philippines’ first wish kid Christian Lanzar who is courageously battling his bout with Hemophilia. His wish to sing a song of love, hope and peace to the world was granted at the stroke of the new millennium together with 2,000 children and telecast live to 60 countries.
Christian was also a distinguished guest speaker at the 20th anniversary of MAW Foundation held in Arizona, USA. He thanked the foundation for granting his wish and even shared how leukemia-stricken Michael Romerosa had a wish to see his best friend who turned out to be Christian. From wish kid to wish granter in just a few days, Christian hugged Michael and sang the same millennium song. This time with much more intensity by Michael’s bedside in the hospital ward they once shared. Both were honor students before their illnesses forced them out of school. Michael died a few weeks later but Christian went back to school and graduated top of his class. It was through the power of a wish that something inside him changed and inspired him to be the best he could ever be.
Christian ended his speech by saying, "Please allow me to give special note to the 80 million people of the Philippines watching – please hold the Make A Wish Foundation close to your hearts. Beyond fulfilling wishes, they strive to inspire a whole new generation, I should know because I stand here now representing the future of tomorrow."