Merry Christmas in June
Arlene M. Paredes
Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 27, 2005
WHO said Christmas can only be celebrated in December? Twelve blessed children had their Christmas in June. And it felt just right.
They were meek and rather bashful on stage, answering questions in at most, three-worded phrases, but what they lacked in words they made up for with the genuine expressions of gratitude and delight in their beautiful little faces as they received their Christmas wishes in June.
Twelve children, aged 4-17 years old, received their Christmas wishes from Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAWF) Philippines during “MAWF Christmas in June” at the SM Megamall Ice Skating Rink in June 29.
Recipients of Christmas wishes were: Wilgein Oraye, 4, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Bryan Jasper Manila, 7, with brain tumor; Lani Versoza, 11, with brain tumor; Alvin James Castillo, 7, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Paul Rodriguez, 7, with acute myelogenous leukemia; Brian Edward Hermogeno, 7, with beta thalassemia (blood disorder); Yanna Rose Guevarra, 6, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Ana Margarita Pangilinan, 17, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Jayson Tunay, 9, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Bianca Ericka Valencia, 8, with yolk sac tumor; Samantha Luz, 14, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; and Juan Carlo Ramos, 4, with acute lymphocytic leukemia.
The children are separately confined at the Philippine General Hospital, University of Sto. Tomas Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and Fe Del Mundo Medical Center.
Three of them wished for a Gameboy SP, another three wished for a television, while the others separately wished for a bike, a remote-controlled car, a cell phone with radio, a cell phone with camera, a discman, and a Spiderman toy.
Their wishes were rather simple, mostly things that they could use every day, things that a regular kid would wish to have. This means my friends and I could sponsor a wish and take part in the wonderful mission of MAWF: “We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
Astonishing courage
It was a blessing to witness the wish-granting ceremony and see the precious smiles on the little children’s faces. This author felt truly humbled by the astonishing courage the children displayed: though they were all suffering from a serious illness, there was not a clue on their faces that they were ready to give up or stop enjoying life to the fullest.
Despite the discomfort of masks and their ailing bodies, they were radiating with a different kind of energy-the kind that would generate strength and hope in the hearts of those who would care to really look at them. It should not be surprising, though. They are children. If anyone could inspire us at the most trying times in our life, it would be the children, with their unfailing hope and unwavering faith.
Christmas in June was made possible by MAWF Philippines along with MAWF-Canada (represented by Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland and Gerard Belanger, head of Canadian International Development Agency), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Toy Kingdom, and individual sponsors, Celine Madamba and Elaine Maralit.
MAWF was founded in 1980 when a little boy named Chris Greicius, who was suffering from leukemia, realized his wish to become a police officer. Since then, MAWF has granted the wishes of over a hundred thousand children with life-threatening medical conditions all over the world.
Here in the Philippines, MAWF first granted a wish in 1999. Christian Lanzar, who had hemophilia since birth, had wished to sing to the world. His wish won Best Wish of the Year International. MAWF made Chris’s wish possible in a grand fashion when it made Christian sing with no less than Regine Velasquez at the Manila Peninsula fountain during the millennium welcome celebration, broadcast all over the world. (Inquirer link here.)
Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Philippines holds office at Suite 303 I-Care Building, 167 Legaspi Corner De La Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati City 1229. (Telefax: 840-1553, Website: www.makeawish.org.ph ) Donations are accepted through RCBC Peso Account No: 1-288-36555-1.
The newspaper version is somewhere in my files, though I don’t have the luxury of time to go through all my (ancient) papers.
