How Pope Francis made my wish come true
Truth be known, I was not expecting to see a pope in person. I was only nine years old when Pope John Paul II visited the country in 1995, and — frankly speaking — it didn't occur to me that another pope would visit the Philippines in my lifetime.
And there was also my condition: Three years after Pope John Paul II's visit, I underwent a brain operation because of arteriovenous malformation (AVM). It affected the right side of my body, weakened my balance and coordination, impaired my hearing, and disfigured my physical appearance.
I got through those eventually. I was able to go back to school, and even finished a journalism course.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. I was working for a local newspaper in the United Arab Emirates when AVM reared its ugly head again. And this time it was worse: it compromised my ability to walk alone completely, and everything that I’ve been rebuilding crumbled. Suddenly, I was back in square one.
There goes my dream to become a field reporter, I thought glumly. I will never be a beauty queen, a neurologist, a physiotherapist, a disc jockey, a restaurateur, an interior designer, a thespian, a gymnast, a flight attendant.
Instead, I became a fighter — a fighter for persons with disabilities (PWDs) like me.
I started a blog — http://thepwdforum.wordpress.com — about PWDs hoping that readers, particularly those in governments, will be moved to do something to the social problem physical disability has come to be.
With the help of my mother, relatives, and friends, who never fail to manifest God’s love and care for me, I moved on.
And then Pope Francis came to the Philippines.
From UAE, I flew to the Philippines for the papal visit, hoping to see the Pope in person. It wasn't easy. I sent numerous emails, contacted different persons, endured long days and nights waiting for updates. At the back of my head, it's now or never.
At the University of Santo Tomas on a drizzly Sunday morning, the long wait paid off.
Seeing the 78-year-old Argentine pontiff in the flesh is a wish come true. It was made possible by Fr. Jade Licuanan from the Archdiocese of Manila, who helped me get into the UST event, with the assistance of Ms. Maria Luisa Garcia from the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth.
Getting to the crowded venue in my condition was difficult, but I was assisted by people, and with this article I seek to thank them. I may not know their names and may have forgotten their faces, but in my heart I will always remember the kindness they showed me.
Help came from the Internet as well, from the Department of National Defense, the Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish, the San Antonio de Padua Parish, Magsimba.com, the Radio Television Malacañang, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and GMA News Online. For that, I am extremely thankful. —KBK, GMA News
And there was also my condition: Three years after Pope John Paul II's visit, I underwent a brain operation because of arteriovenous malformation (AVM). It affected the right side of my body, weakened my balance and coordination, impaired my hearing, and disfigured my physical appearance.
I got through those eventually. I was able to go back to school, and even finished a journalism course.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. I was working for a local newspaper in the United Arab Emirates when AVM reared its ugly head again. And this time it was worse: it compromised my ability to walk alone completely, and everything that I’ve been rebuilding crumbled. Suddenly, I was back in square one.
There goes my dream to become a field reporter, I thought glumly. I will never be a beauty queen, a neurologist, a physiotherapist, a disc jockey, a restaurateur, an interior designer, a thespian, a gymnast, a flight attendant.
Instead, I became a fighter — a fighter for persons with disabilities (PWDs) like me.
I started a blog — http://thepwdforum.wordpress.com — about PWDs hoping that readers, particularly those in governments, will be moved to do something to the social problem physical disability has come to be.
With the help of my mother, relatives, and friends, who never fail to manifest God’s love and care for me, I moved on.
And then Pope Francis came to the Philippines.
From UAE, I flew to the Philippines for the papal visit, hoping to see the Pope in person. It wasn't easy. I sent numerous emails, contacted different persons, endured long days and nights waiting for updates. At the back of my head, it's now or never.
At the University of Santo Tomas on a drizzly Sunday morning, the long wait paid off.
Seeing the 78-year-old Argentine pontiff in the flesh is a wish come true. It was made possible by Fr. Jade Licuanan from the Archdiocese of Manila, who helped me get into the UST event, with the assistance of Ms. Maria Luisa Garcia from the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth.
Getting to the crowded venue in my condition was difficult, but I was assisted by people, and with this article I seek to thank them. I may not know their names and may have forgotten their faces, but in my heart I will always remember the kindness they showed me.
Help came from the Internet as well, from the Department of National Defense, the Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish, the San Antonio de Padua Parish, Magsimba.com, the Radio Television Malacañang, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and GMA News Online. For that, I am extremely thankful. —KBK, GMA News
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