Kristo meets Mio :)

Last week Kristo and I went to the thanksgiving dinner for the Mio Fights Cancer Benefit Concert at Pino Resto Bar. We were pleasantly surprised to see that Mio was there!! Finally, we get to meet Mio Mendiola in person!! Prior to that dinner, Kristo and I would just see loads of his photos and read about his stories on his blog, miofightscancer.com. I think I may have built Mio up a lot in Kristo’s head coz there were days when Kristo would beg me (this is not an exaggeration) to take him to Mio’s house so they can play.  I remember telling Kristo that Mio is 5 and that he’s homeschooled as well and that he likes Nickelodeon too and that he’s got a pet fish…plus Kristo saw a picture of Mio playing his Nintendo DS — that was enough to get him extremely excited to meet Mio. (Kristo likes watching other kids play video games, sometimes he’d ask me to play a game at the arcade and he’d just watch!)

Here’s proof:

 

Kristo watching Mio play...just as I pictured it!

As they were playing, I noticed their eyelashes! I remember reading how Jasmine would talk about how long her son’s eyelashes are and when she saw Kristo’s eyelashes we started kidding that we should have a contest. Last Thursday, after I took this photo, I just had to declare the winner, Mio!  

Another thing we just had to do that night was to have this picture taken:

 

With our gorgeous little men

Aside from hanging out with Jasmine and Mio and the Mio Warriors that night (which was such a treat), I also got to enjoy a sumptuous 6-course meal which is what’s served on a Mio Monday!!!

This is what I’m talking about:

Trust me, the food there is AWESOME It’s super worth it! Oh, and don’t forget to leave some room for their Signature Pino Dessert — coz that’s something YOU HAVE to try! (Imagine a chocolate bar cooked like a tempura topped with Vanilla ice cream! Just writing about it is making me want it, NOW!).  Plus, you’ll get a special thank you gift….

Special Edition Mio Pins for P75 (the pink one is a keychain/ mirror, the blue one is a magnet/ bottle openner) we’re giving them away to MioMonday participants along with iCANCERvive baller IDs which we usually sell at P65 in commemoration of Iggy Villanueva.

I highly recommend that you invite your friends or someone special to any of the Mio Mondays. Awesome food + special people + a great cause = you can’t go wrong! Oh and before you get too excited, don’t forget to make a reservation! You can call Alessa at 0917-7371376

*For more information about Mio, visit http://miofightscancer.com and http://miotheartist.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

Little Big Fighter Julius and Mommy Cecilia…

Last week I got to spend a bit of time with another awesome mom who inspires me to bits.  For some reason, lately I’ve really been drawn to mothers like me who have gorgeous little boys.

I met ate (big sister) Cecilia and her 8 year old son Julius at the Generics Expo I hosted at Megamall the day before typhoon Ondoy (mid-September).  Part of the event was dedicated to the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Department of Health and the Cancer Warriors Foundation.  One hundred Cancer Warrior Foundation kids with Leukemia will have free meds for 3 years of full treatment and some of them were there at the event coz the Deparment of Health had a few more treats for them.

Kyla singing to the kids of Cancer Warriors Foundation

At lunch I sat with 4 mothers and their kids and that’s when I met Ate Cecilia and Julius. She told me how most of them are from the province and are now in Manila to get their kids treated. They all live at a boarding house meant for kids fighting cancer and their guardians. I was just drawn to Ate Cecilia, her faith was amazing. She kept on telling me how she believes that Julius will be well, soon. Before they left we exchanged numbers and since then, we’ve kept in touch. Last week Ate Cecilia told me that they were back in the hospital and that Julius’ temperature has been really high for about a week already AND their doctor at the Philippine General Hospital told her that Julius will no longer get well! That really upset me, big time! I strongly believe that no one has the right to say that !! BUT even if that’s what the doctor said, Ate Cecilia believes that God will heal Julius. No doubt there.

Our fighter Julius and Ate Cecilia

My friend Joshua Tongol and I went to visit them last week. Ate Cecilia told us how the doctor asked her the week before if she still wanted to continue chemo treatments for Julius. She felt that the question wasn’t necessary, coz the doctor knew that the reason why they’re in Manila is to get Julius treated. The doctor told her: “Kahit mag-chemo siya, wala na din shang pag-asa” (Even if he goes thru chemo, he’s hopeless, he won’t get well anymore”). I could comment on that statement right now, but I’d rather not, just the same way I didn’t comment when we were at the hospital.

Julius still had a really high temperature when we were there. We told them that Jesus loves them so much and that Jesus wants to heal him. Ate Cecilia said that that’s what Julius always tell her, that “Papa Jesus will heal me” Aside from this little fighter’s faith, it was obvious too that Julius was being a little man by being strong for his mom. Every time she asked him how he felt, he’d say he was ok. That’s how he was when we asked him too, coz several times we saw him gasping for air. But even if that was the situation, it was so inspiring to see them both declare that there is no doubt, Julius will be ok. On that note, we prayed for both of them. We also prayed for the huge lump on Julius’ chest.  By the end of the visit, we all kept on saying that the lump will dissolve for sure and that his temperature will go back to normal and that he will be declared Leukemia free

The next day I got a text message from Ate Cecilia saying that Julius’ temperature has gone back to normal. Then a few days after that she messaged me that the lump on his chest is noticeably smaller! Isn’t Jesus so cool?!

Here I am again (and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of asking you all for a very special favor)…. Hope you could include Julius and Ate Cecilia in your prayers.  I have no doubt that Julius will soon be telling the world how Papa Jesus healed him.

about Paul…

Before I became a mommy to my little boy, I was already taking care of another guy I soooo love… I remember being upset when he’d get bruises or wounds from playing soccer…. I’d be there for almost every shooting day he’s gone thru for his movie or commercial or tv guesting to show him how much I support him…. I’ve pulled the meanest pranks on him but he’d always end up forgiving me…. we’d fight a lot — but they say it comes with the relationship.. He was my number one enemy growing up, but he’s also someone I dearly love.

Now he lives so far away and he’s rarely in the city I’m in…I miss him loads But, I’m extremely proud that he’s gone for his dreams and that he’s doing what he loves most, flying. I want the world to know that I love him sooooo much and that I am sooo thrilled for him…for what he’s achieved so far and for what’s up ahead!!! (I know so coz God’s got awesome plans for you!!)

Paul, the pilot

Happy birthday, Paul. I love you sooo much…. and thank you for being one of the great male figures in my son’s life! He loves you dearly, too! (I know so, coz he always asks about you!)

And by the way, no matter how old we get….or how tall you are — you will always be my BABY brother!!!

at our favorite playground in Hong Kong