KCAT CAN: Birthdays and blessings

Birthdays and blessings

That desire never left me. I would often mention it to my friends, my cousins and my mom especially after my 29th birthday. I even daydream about it, visualizing how I wanted it to be. But don’t get me wrong. I’m not really wishing for a grand and luxurious celebration, only a memorable and fun party together with my family and friends.

When I realized that my brother, Maro and I are turning 30 and 13 years old this 2013, I felt more excited and inspired to make this party a reality.

“I told Kcat that we will find a way. For me, I never thought na gastos na naman. All I wanted is to celebrate and to thank God that Kcat has reached 30 despite of the difficulties she has gone through,” my mom said during the party.

We were also happy for Maro because he already has his own circle of friends. He wasn’t used to mingling with people and making friends before. When he was younger, he already knew his responsibilities at home and never failed to care for me and mom.

Even before I could raise enough money for the party, God showed me His greatness once again. It’s true that when God takes something away, it’s because He has a better plan, the best actually. Due to our constant medical expenses, I wasn’t able to save up. Little did I know that my friends and cousins were already planning it all along. My best friend Daisy approached my mom weeks before May and told her about their big surprise.

My cousins and GYA friends coordinated with each other and shared their support, effort and even the expenses. My cousin Marie, the chef and owner of Ulam Mart catering service, prepared the food for the event. My cousins Cathy and Mark of Timmy’s Oven provided not only the cakes but also the photo booth, balloons and decors. My cousin Paula, who has a lot of experience in managing events, took charge of all the details. My cousin Athan and Dave set up a mini cocktail bar and brought a yummy organic lechon. My friends Kathreen and Chrisjohn hosted the event. The rest of the GYA Peeps helped me prepare the materials I needed for the event and acted as the ushers and usherettes for the guests.

Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos allowed us to use the venue for free including the lights, sounds and electricity. The venue is called The Place which is located across Mandaluyong City Hall. It’s actually a private property, but anyone can have it booked as long as you’re a Mandaleño. It all turned out to be how I really wanted it to be like.

Instead of the usual 18 candles and 18 roses ceremony, I came up with 13 flowers from Maro and 30 words for Kcat. Maro gave each significant woman in his life a flower. My mom was his first dance while I received the last piece of flower. As for me, I asked 30 of my friends to come up with a word to describe me and explain it in three sentences.

Because of this, I have learned that the quote, “A true friend will not need any explanation as he will always understand” is indeed true because upon seeing each word they chose, I automatically knew their reasons for choosing it even before reading the explanation.

In my 30 years of existence, I am so blessed with a lot of friends and family who stayed with me in times of happiness and hardships. These special people in my life are another reason why I wanted this celebration to happen. I know this party isn’t really necessary but I wanted to show my gratitude to them by showing them how much I’ve gotten better – stronger and wiser but still the same. I even made a thank you card for each of them.

I believe that I have lived my life well. I enjoyed my childhood and teenage years so much that I never run out of memories to smile and laugh about. I have fallen in and out of love. I’ve been hurt but stood up again. I cried, I laughed, I learned, and I had so much fun. I made a lot of mistakes, but these mistakes became lessons. I have learned to never regret because everything has a reason. Life will show us the reason.

KCAT CAN: A birthday like no other

A birthday like no other
By Maria Katrina Lopez Yarza
Published: May 27, 2013

"When you enjoy what you have, you get happiness. When you share what you have, you multiply happiness.”

Since 2007, I have been celebrating my birth month by holding “MAY Birthday Project,” a gift-giving affair at the Philippine General Hospital where I share my blessings with people I call friends.

This year though, my mom had a minor accident two weeks before the gift-giving, that lead to a compressed fracture in her spine. It was really hard for her to move around, in fact there was a time that she could not move at all. I worried about how she will undertake the preparations for this event. Fortunately, she recovered faster, thanks to our answered prayers. My friend, Ate Jen, volunteered to prepare the ecobags by having the logo printed on it and delivering it to our house. Sir Deegee, my sister’s high school teacher, offered the help of 2Hour Pickup and Delivery Inc. to get the donations anywhere within Metro Manila at no cost. These two tasks took a lot of my mom’s time and effort in the previous years, so their help really meant a lot to us.

Two months ago, when I started campaigning for MAY Birthday Project 2013, the first to respond despite his busy schedule was Sir Jean Henri, the CEO and president of PJ Lhuillier Inc. Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos was busy with his campaign but he still offered to assist and support us. My friend Adie of Asia Institute of Computer Studies (AICS) delivered boxes of donations. Goldilocks Bakeshop sent a couple of caramel popcorn and cupcakes that put added excitement on the children’s faces. Universal Robina Corporation was generous enough to give boxes of goodies like Quake bars and Cream-O. Timmy’s Oven and PAVZEL sent their homemade pastries and chocolates for the patients. Mommy Gilda Altez, president of World Letter Insurance Solution Inc. and my Happiest Pinoy co-finalist, prepared a couple of mini bayongs to give out. Greencross not only gave alcohol but also boxes of soaps. Isshin Dream Publishing held a book outreach and handed it during the event. We were able to get support from different companies and individuals who didn’t just respond to our help, but also genuinely expressed their sincerity and willingness to participate in the project. These people indeed are cheerful givers.

A dream came true for me when Fr. Dante Valero, SDB offered to celebrate the Holy Mass during the event. In the previous years, my mom and I would often say, “Sana may Mass?” I  cannot hear the words of the priest whenever I attended a Mass. I am usually just a mere observer but I understand its complete sequences. But that is already enough for me to join in the prayers; it’s about God and me anyway. So during the Mass officiated by Fr. Dante, we prayed for the success of the event, for the patients, as well as for the strength of one another.

Upon entering each ward, I gave a short introduction and shared with them my mantra “while there’s life, there is definitely hope.” I can really testify to that. For instance, more than a hundred people came to volunteer for the project last year. Until now, I am still amazed at how this little project that started seven years ago becomes bigger and better every year.

Having a lot of volunteers means a lot of interactions with the patients and more effort, time and love were shared. We learned their stories, gave them encouragement, prayed for them and most importantly, we were able to put a smile on their faces. Adding more fun were the magicians of The Story Circle who entertained not only the patients but their caretakers and volunteers as well.

The event was so tiring especially because of the very hot weather. It was really exhausting, but with all the smiles and happiness that had been passed around, I must say that it was all worth it!

HUMBLING EXPERIENCE

Since May is also Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Month, I asked some of my NF friends to join us. We handed flyers with basic information about our condition as our way of showing everyone that being sick and looking different from others are not a hindrance for us to share and care. NF is not contagious anyway.

There were a number of people who weren’t able to participate this year but amazingly there were a lot of new volunteers with us. Here are some of their thoughts.

“Nakakalungkot, masakit sa dibdib makakita ng mga batang may sakit. Pero kapag inabutan mo sila ng tulong lalo na ‘yung mga toys, kitang kita mo ‘yung ngiti at saya sa mga mga mata nila,” shares Ate Cecile.

Meanwhile, Ate Cres says, “As a Mom, I can feel their pain. After saying a little prayer, I got out and calmed myself because I was there to make them happy and not spread negative vibes.”

Jenyh, on the other hand, considers the event a humbling and heartwarming experience after seeing the conditions of the kids and talking to their parents. “It made us wish we could do more to help,” she adds.

Thank you so much for everyone who supported MAY Birthday Project 2013! I will keep doing this for as long as I am alive, breathing, and celebrating my birthday.

Today is my mom’s birthday. Please include her in your prayers that she may continue to get through, despite her lupus. All these wouldn’t be possible without her.

 ***

Safara Chloee Gabayan was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia and needs to undergo a liver transplant in Taiwan that costs about R4 to 5 million. Her family is doing everything they can to raise the needed funds. You may get in touch with her mother Maryval at 09079899385 / 09233432580 and direct your donations via BDO Account # 2360459992 under account name Joey Gabayan.

Let me share with you this poem I got from the internet. No one knows who the real author is but it is too good not too share.

 “Hope is such a marvelous thing. It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides, but rarely does it break. It sustains us when nothing else can. It gives us reason to continue and the courage to move ahead, whenever we tell ourselves that we’d rather give in. Hope puts a smile on our faces when the heart cannot manage. Hope puts our feet on the path when our eyes cannot see it. Hope moves us to act when our souls are confused of the direction. Hope is a wonderful thing, something to be cherished and nurtured, and something that will refresh us in return. And it can be found in each of us, and it can bring light into the darkest of places. NEVER LOSE HOPE!”

KCAT CAN: Addressing a global issue

Addressing a global issue
By Maria Kathrina Lopez Yarza
Published: May 13, 2013

It’S my birthday today! The month of May has always been special to me not only because this is my birth month, but because of a couple of other reasons that calls for a celebration. Most of my family members were born this month – my uncle on the 6th, my dad on the 10th, my cousin on the 16th, my brother on the 17th, my grandmother on the 20thh and my mother on the 27th.

This May 18 will be our 7th annual gift-giving at the Philippine General Hospital and I’m certain that it will be as successful as the previous years. More importantly, it’s also Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Month, and I’ll get to celebrate it with my NF friends who’ll be joining me in my upcoming birthday project to spread NF awareness on May 18. Someday, I wish that we’ll have our own NF event in the country.

When Rachel Mindrup posted a message on our Neurofibromatosis Philippines page regarding her advocacy, I was really amazed with what she did. It’s not every day that you get to receive a message written in Filipino by an American. She is the artist behind The Many Faces of NF, where she raises NF awareness through her art.

Rachel had never heard of Neurofibromatosis until nine years ago, when her son Henry, then only four months old, was diagnosed with it. She researched about her son’s condition but there wasn’t much information online or any book  about it in the library. She wanted to just forget about her son’s condition, but every time she tries, Henry would have some new complication. She realized that NF isn’t going away and trying to pretend it doesn’t exist isn’t going to help, so the best thing to do is just live with it.

In 2008, she joined Facebook and met a couple of parents whose children had NF. She was able to easily identify with them. They told her about the NF Endurance team and some of the walks that she could participate in.

“The truth is, I hate exercising. Even more than this, I hate fundraising. I do not like asking people for money,” shares Rachel.

That posed a problem because she needed people to raise funds for NF research in order to help her son. Then she learned about Reggie Bibbs, the founder of Just Ask! Foundation. The non-profit organization is dedicated to spreading awareness about NF and helping people affected by it lead a more productive and satisfying life. Rachel painted a portrait of Reggie as a token of appreciation for what he is doing.

“I wasn’t sure if he would like it or not. I just wanted to do something to keep him going out spreading NF awareness. It’s a token of appreciation from a mother of a child with NF,” Rachel says.

Reggie loved the portrait, word spread and before she knew it, she had already painted over 80 portraits. All she asks in return is for people to donate money for NF research and/or spend time raising awareness.

Because of this, Rachel learned that NF manifests itself differently from person to person. Some may have facial disfigurements while others have tumors growing internally. Still others may have no tumors, and suffer from severe learning disorders. There really isn’t just one “look” and that’s how she came up with the name “Many Faces of NF” on Facebook.

“I thought, and I think it is working, that if I started painting all of these portraits, people would notice how different everyone looks from each other and yet this is what binds us all,” relates Rachel.

Aside from doing watercolor portraits, she also delved into oil portraits of persons with NF while doing what they enjoy like drinking coffee, playing the guitar, building Legos, and playing a keyboard. She wanted the person’s personality to take center stage while the NF takes a back seat. She wants people to realize that just because someone has NF, it doesn’t mean that they are limited or that it is their defining feature.

“People often ask me if this is just something common here in Nebraska or the Midwest. I mean...really?,” Rachel says, hoping that people will see it as a global problem.

As for writing in Filipino, Rachel says that she intentionally tries her best to message people in their own languages so she would be able to effectively convey her advocacy.

She believes that if she paints as many different people, ages and ethnicities of persons with this disorder, it will help more people realize that this isn’t just something going on in one country, and that everyone around the world needs to work together to find the cure and treatment.

“I want to make NF well known all over the world. I want to take it to every country that’s willing to listen,” adds Reggie Bibbs.

Rachel hopes to turn these portraits into a full-color book so that everyone may learn about NF and how it affects the people that have it. To achieve this, she needs as many “Likes” on http://www.facebook.com/ManyFacesNF.

Like the people with NF, Baby Belle Espeleta who was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia needs help. She has been inflicted with this rare disease in the liver, needs to have an operation before she turns one this coming May 25. The operation costs four million pesos. If you want to extend your help, call Abbey Espeleta at 0922-4517438.

KCAT CAN: Help save His masterpieces

Help save His masterpieces
By Maria Katrina Lopez Yarza
Published: April 29, 2013

The Lord is not slow to keep His promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. He is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, He wants all people to turn away from their sins.” - 2 Peter 3:9

Gilda Fotunata Altez, whom everyone calls “Mommy G,” is one of the 10 finalists of the 2012 CLIS Search for Happiest Pinoy. She established “A Voice in A Storm,” a counseling advocacy group that helps married couples and families regain broken trust and respect and renew their marriage.

This advocacy aims to reach out and open hearts to those who are not understood by their loved ones whom they have hurt, including those who are poor, abandoned, helpless, and unloved.
“Each marriage and family has their own drama caused by pains due to various reasons. For as long as they are willing to understand, sacrifice and show their undying love, differences in their relationships will be worked out, and reconciliation and forgiveness would be realized,” she shares. She makes sure that God is the center of every relationship.

Mommy G is also the CEO and president of World Letters Assurance Society Inc. (WLASI), a non-government organization (NGO) that pushes for environmental protection and teaches about the ill-effects of global warming and climate change.

Last month, Mommy G and some volunteers went uphill to the mountains of Ampusongan, Kayapa, Bakun, and Benguet to hold their second “Tsinelas, Pagkain at Karunungan tungkol sa Kalikasan para sa Kabataan” outreach project spearheaded by WLASI in partnership with A Voice In the Storm.

The group was able to reach out to 600 less fortunate children and parents. It was an exhausting trip going up and down the hills of Kayapa, Benguet. “We didn’t mind the exhaustion because all our minds, bodies and hearts were all focused on bringing happiness,” Mommy G says.

They distributed food, toys, slippers, and clothes and educated them at the same time on how to save Mother Earth.

“We teach the children values formation. We also believe that keeping the environment clean and healthy must start at home. This will probably lead them to the right direction in preserving the sanctity of the family through love, respect, trust and cooperation,” she explains.
Mommy G aims to spread this advocacy not only within the country but globally as well and vows to continuously teach and encourage today’s younger generation to be stewards of the environment.

On July 27, Mommy G and other Happiest Pinoy co-finalists Marcelo Otinguey and Connie Tababa will hold the third Tsinelas, Pagkain at Karunungan project at Tubungan, Iloilo. For those who want to join or become a volunteer, you may call her at 621-6449 or 0928-2771847.

***

Our Mother Earth is not the only one that needs to be saved but the life of many as well. Iko Cuenco is one of those.

Six years after their daughter Ria was born, Iyna and Nikkolai were blessed with a baby boy on August 1, 2012. They named him Iko Lyle Erin Cuenco. The family was so happy with Iko’s arrival but three weeks after he was born, he got sick of jaundice. Iko’s skin and the white of his eyes were turning yellowish. After a couple of lab tests, he was immediately diagnosed with Biliary Atresia – a rare and fatal congenital liver disease in newborns where the bile duct between the liver and small intestine is blocked or absent, and is unable to function. This disease affects one in 15,000 live births and the only effective treatments are Kasai procedure (short-term treatment) and liver transplant (long-term treatment).

On his sixth week, Iko underwent Kasai procedure, an operation which attempts to reconstruct the bile duct with a loop of intestine. While it allows some children to return to normal growth and activities, most patients with the disease will still eventually need a liver transplant. Two months after Iko’s surgery, it was found out that there is an inflammation on his right abdomen due to liver complication. He was rushed to the hospital almost every week to get immediate treatment like blood transfusion, transferring of albumin and other immediate medications. At present, his immune system is getting weaker by the day and needs to undergo a liver transplant at the soonest possible time as to save his life. Iko needs to have the transplant in Chang Gung Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where the survival rate is 97 percent. But the procedure costs about four million pesos.

According to his doctors, he needs to be operated on before he turns a year old. Seeing how Iko is fighting despite his physical appearance and weak condition, his family are motivated to keep going and help in whatever way they can. His parents recently set up a fundraising drive, selling the “SAVE a life, Save little Iko” shirt they designed themselves for R300 each. They also did a garage sale, and a house-to-house activity within their area, asking people to fill their cans and bottles with monetary donations. Their group of friends organized a benefit show for Iko last April 23 in Quezon City. This coming May 1, another show will be held at The Library Comedy Bar in Malate.

His mom Iyna also continues to pray for help. “Papa God, we thank you for Iko. We are so blessed to have a handsome, adorable and a loving baby boy. But you know his condition, you know that he is terribly ill right now. Please pour out your mercy upon him. There is nothing impossible with you.”

Those who`d like to help Iko may call Iyna Quintain at 09051718311 and visit Iko’s page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/savelittleiko.

In the Bible, Noah was able to save to save God’s precious creations because of his faith. He trusted and listened to God without hesitation. Let us be like Noah and save God’s masterpieces. God loves everything that He has created. He always has a rescue plan, we just need to listen and trust in Him.

Iloilo News Today: You Can (Kcat)

You Can (Kcat)
By Dolly Palisada
April 3, 2013 - Iloilo News Today

Mandaluyong City - YOU HEAR THE doctor’s story about another patient with the same diagnosis and that patient is now gone. You see teary eyed visitors in her room and how sullen their faces are. Your husband is not saying a word, yet you hear his voice screaming.

At first they say it is brain tumor. You brush it off. Everything has reasons, you tell your self. There’s nothing to be afraid of because God is on your side. She will have a surgery, the medical expenses will bloat, but life must go on for her because she’s young.

Two months in the hospital, she had seizures due to fluids in her brain which was swelling and her pain was unbearable even morphine can’t numb it. She also acquired Pneumonia and her lungs were filled with puss. Any delay and the lungs may collapse. You take another look at her in bed, curling up on her right side. Her face is devoid of emotions-- her facial muscles froze due to paralysis.

It is not just brain tumor (although the tumor is benign), the doctor told you, but there are other small cell growths in her brain that affect her nervous system. It is called Neurofibromatosis.

No it can’t be! This is too much for Kcat to take, doc.

It means she can no longer walk, the doctor was saying. She will not talk clearly again and will not hear or see you or eat on her own. We don’t know when she’s going to be well.

No, you tell him. No, he must be joking. This is just a swelling stage. Kathrina is only 21 years old. In a few months, she’s done with Fine Arts.

You want to cry but can’t. You head to the nearest church and go down on your knees. You cry for Kathrina and the young life gone to waste. You pray that the doctors are wrong. You pray because that’s the only thing left to do.

The next day, the X-ray result showed a miracle -- her lungs were clear of puss. You found your family sobbing in the corner of her room, grateful for the good news. You call and email anyone you can appeal to for financial support. Her hospital bill is now half a million.

You have lupus since 2000. Lately you’ve forgotten that too. Then you double take your meds. You have vertigo. Sometimes you simply pray. Sometimes you just shrug it off. You better be well or Kcat will not come home.

The Don Bosco priests never left you on your fundraising activities. From flyers and letters to politicians, relatives, friends, people you don’t know, and PCSO, every centavo you owed was paid for and Kcat finally left the hospital.

You are Madge, Kcat’s amazing mother. Faith is overwhelming, your friend Hedy said.

Indeed.

The years that follow, one surgery to another, Kcat’s head costs a little more than three million. She mused, “di na ako umaalis ng bahay, baka makidnap ako.” (I don’t go out anymore because I’m afraid I might be kidnapped). She’s naturally funny. When she laughs, she says literally: “Ha! Ha! Ha!; when she’s sad, she says: “Ho, ho, ho.”

The time when Kcat was confined in a corner was the hardest. It was a Holy Week when her depression went from bad to worse. “I wanted the world to stop for me”, she was pleading. She kept saying, hallucinating almost, repeatedly telling her mom: “Nababaliw ako! Nababaliw ako!” and “Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday.” Her mom put a crucifix in her palm. They prayed together. On Easter Sunday, her depression was gone. “It was like magic”, she told me. She promised to live and to exist, to laugh and to love for as long as she can.

It was on her birthday in 2007 when she lifted her left foot again. She tried desperately to walk one step at a time, until she did. Today with a customized metal brace and a pair of special shoes Kcat can walk by herself. She can now hear by lip reading. Her eyes cannot blink, however blurry, but she can see. Yes, she speaks, mumbling at times, but she can talk.

She’s Maria Kathrina Lopez Yarza. On May 30, 2013, she will turn 30 years old. From a hopeless case, nine years ago, today she gives hope to many. Kcat defines her life as balanced. She can balance herself when she walks, she can balance her work between writing for the Manila Bulletin every other Monday and designing her own brand of T-shirts, “ArtAhTACK” and sustains her monthly medicine expenses.
“You can.” These are the words she gives to other girls out there, despite being healthy yet missing life’s chances. I was left handed, she continues, when the left part of my body was paralyzed from the head down, I trained my right hand to work.
Work starts early in the morning on her computer. She writes her blog, designs T-shirts and researches more information about Neurofibromatosis. Her website is http://kcatyarza.com/; a blog and a Facebook page for her fundraising campaign kept her busy.

For seven years, Kcat has been going back to Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to payback the kindness afforded to her during her stay. On May 13, 2013 [5 days after my birthday actually -Kcat] her family, friends and about a hundred volunteers will troop to PGH and hold another birthday party for patients in the pedia ward, Cancer Ortho ward, Neuro Surgery ward and ICU. [Pedia, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology (ORL) wards and Pedia ICU -Kcat]

“I know how boring it is to stay in the hospital,” Kcat recalled. That’s the reason why I organized this activity. I want them to be happy, even for a day. She gives away packs of toiletries, small grocery items, balloons and a little snack to get by. Volunteers and donors are welcome.

Now, let me leave you with this poem:

I can’t hear
I can’t walk
I can’t move my arms
I can’t wiggle my fingers
I can’t swallow well
I can’t write
I can’t stand alone
I can’t smile
I can’t spit
I can’t see well
I can’t use my left hand…but that doesn't stop me from doing the things I CAN. Life must go on!

KCAT