Little Girl With 4th Stage Tumor Visits Dad in Jail
Ron T. my hubby with Erica who's holding one of the pink Christmas ornaments donated by friends...
Little Erica caught my eye when she bravely stood up from her wheel chair to help decorate the donated Christmas tree I brought last Dec. 19, 2010 to Child House, the hospice she was temporarily living in. She was so intent on hanging up the bright blue and pink Christmas balls that she forced herself off her wheelchair and for a moment forgot she was fighting a brain tumor.
A deadly fourth-stage tumor in her head.
And because of her physical weakness, Ron (my hubby) had to hold her up from time to time to make sure she wouldn’t topple over.
As we got to know Erica, we found out that her mother had disappeared to marry another man while her Dad, Ricky dela Cruz was serving a life sentence in the maximum security section of Muntinglupa. He is facing murder charges which Erica’s aunt and caretaker Mimi Nobreda says were trumped up.
My heart broke as I listened to Erica’s story but thanked God that in the middle of it all, she could still smile and enjoy whatever blessings came her way. She said her wish was to see her father, perhaps for one last time.
I was so touched by the strength and joy I found in this little girl that I started working on the possibility of a Father-Daughter reunion date. The least I could do (aside from pray for a miracle healing) was make her wish come true.
Three weeks and several phone calls later, we got the go signal. My high-school classmate and now Pastor, Joseph Revereza together with Pastor Dodong Boyles (he leads the New Creation Prison Ministries) were able to secure permits from the Muntinglupa Jail for Erica and company to visit her Dad!!!
The reunion was a tearful and joyful one. Erica’s Dad had no idea she was visiting (and with food!) so it was quite a shock for him to see her being wheeled into his area in the middle of his bible study group. They had not seen each other in five years! It was a bittersweet reunion – joy at being together but sad that this may be the last time they see each other. Ricky also had no idea that his daughter’s tumor had progressed to 4th stage.
But they did not let that take the happiness away from their day together. Father and daughter cried and talked and ate and hugged and held each other for the few hours they had, thanking God for this one small blessing.
Speaking of blessings, Operation Blessing was also a major major help for stepping in last minute to provide a big, roomy vehicle and driver for Erica and her Aunt. OB Volunteers, headed by Asther, came along for assistance.
Then there was my good buddy Gino Mariano (a missions guy for Life Giver Christian Family Ministries) who kept visiting Erica at Child House and coordinating with me from that end. He is the big guy in the photos – while he may seem like a Goliath, he is one big teddy bear and Erica just loves him to pieces!
If you would like to help Erica (full name: Erica Lei dela Cruz) or any of the children at Child House, a hospice for children fighting cancer and other serious illnesses please contact 4142421 and look for Dr. Erwin or any of his assistants. Child House will be transferring to a new home this summer so if that number doesn’t work, please contact me at 0918.959.3343 and I can put you in touch with them.
just got an sms message from Erica’s aunt… they need funds ( ASAP ) for another Chemo session & hearing aid for Erica… they don’t even have bus fare goin’ to Manila…
Okay, noted, will try to do something asap…
btw, Erica doesn’t stay at Child House anymore. There’s a lot of politics/corruption in that so called sanctuary ( what else is new )?
she is staying in a shanty near DJ Reyes Hospital in Blummentritt, MM.
that’s where she’s having chemo, but not totally free. they had to buy medicines & even the supplies like injection/needles & all that stuff isn’t provided for. her aunt says they can’t get anymore funding fm PCSO. ( another corrupt govt’ agency ). I can only help so much… I tried to get in touch w/ GMA’s Kapuso foundation, ABS-CBN’s Bantay Bata, & other charitable institutions, but then, yah gotta know the right peeps there to get things done…
then, there was this “make a wish” foundation by a certain politician fm MM… made a big “media blitz” using Erica’s situation. some ‘big wigs” fm the fashion industry put a nice dress on her, made a pictorial & had it featured at Phil Star’s “Lifestyle” section. a lot of pledges came in, but that’s all there is to it. Empty promises. Ginamit lang yung bata para sa pogi points nila. These feudal couturiers are all over the fashion world, rubbing elbows w/ the rich & famous celebrities & politicians. Erica’s article was just their way of showing that they care for the “Gentiles” or to be brutally frank about it, kind to the “Squattings” for me, that is so sick! may their tribe decrease.
I mean, these peeps didn’t even bother to see or ask about Erica’s condition. Not even one of them knows where she was on Christmas eve, nor how she & her family spent their holidays. Tapos na kasi yung press release so what’s in it for them? I think they are stockholders of the company named Tupperware.
“nough said…
HI Gino, with the number of poor people who need medical attention in our country, it is a difficult job. I also tried asking a couple foundations to help Erica but it’s been difficult to get a straight answer. Nevertheless, I am thankful to these institutions for trying to do what they can because it supposed to be government’s duty to care for it’s people. I will see what I can do to get Erica some help. Thanks for sounding the alarm…
I got a text msg fm Erica’s aunt last night… she’s having another sessions for chemo. Erica seems tired w/ all of these…pls continue to pray for a miracle of healing…
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Joyce, thank you for the opportunity to be a channel of blessing and to be an agent of God’s grace.
Gek, please visit my FB account, I posted all the pictures there and some videos. I’m having problems posting three more videos because of the file size. will try to figure it out.
God bless you all.
Gek!!! Hi there, so sorry I haven’t sent you the photos yet. What is your email? Please drop me a note here – jaedeelight@yahoo.com or text my office’s phone 0918.959.3343
I am praying for Erica’s miracle healing! When that happens, we’ll arrange ANOTHER Father-Daughter date to celebrate!
Pastor Jorev! Thanks for making it happen 🙂 now I know there was a deeper purpose to attending our HS reunion!!!
Hi Ms. Joyce, I am one of the OB staff who was with Kuya Asther that day. It really was a tearful moment. I was sitting there just watching the beautiful reunion between father and daughter. I was also able to spend a few private hours with Ricky’s mother as well and the reunion was a bittersweet moment for the her too. So happens, it was her first time to see her son after he was transferred to the Muntinlupa jail. And that was four years ago. She almost didn’t see him that day but thank God she did.
I hope I could also have a copy of the pictures. I really hope it wouldn’t be the last time Erica would see her father. In Jesus Name she’s healed!
Continue touching people’s lives with the heart of God. You are blessed! 🙂
Awww, so touching. =/ So nice that you were able to arraneg this. God Bless You, Joyce!
It kinda fell into place. Days before I met Erica, I attended my HS reunion and discovered my dear classmate, Jorev was a Pastor and was involved with prison ministries in Munti. So when we found out that Erica’s Dad was incarcerated there, I contacted Pastor Jorev and started working on getting a visit. And by the grace of God, it happened!!!