Yesterday a testament that miracles do happen and that prayers and faith can move mountains.

After a grueling 8-hour surgery, my father is now out of the operating room/recovery room. He is now back in his normal room; awake and already talking to us. Though we expect that he will be in pain when the anesthesia wears off, it looks like the surgery went well. His neurosurgeon said they did not experience any problem during the surgery. He did not go into the details but he said he will explain everything during his rounds later or tomorrow morning.

I have all of you to thank for this procedure which was meant to save my father’s life and spare him from the complications should the mass in his frontal lobe continue to grow. We were, at first, hesitant to push through with the surgery because of some factors we were afraid could do more harm than good for him: his age, the size of the mass and his weakness prior to his hospitalization. Also, surgeries of this kind were costly and the family was, honestly, not prepared.

But with proper advise from a relative who also has experience in frontal lobe tumors, we were enlightened that if we just allow the tumor to grow and do nothing, the process will be slow, more painful and more costly for the family. And it would be like watching my father slowly lose his senses. The doctor predicted that he may not be able to move his right body, may lose his left eye, could lose his ability to speak and eventually could just sleep and never wake up.

Then, the idea of starting the campaign just dawned on me. I did not expect the tremendous support we received since I was initially hoping only to gather some amount enough to supplement what we had with us.

But both miracles unfolded right before our eyes: making the decision to have the tumor removed and having the support and assistance we needed for Papa’s surgery.

This may still be a long road for my father but we are hopeful and certain that he can get through it because he is brave, determined and very strong.

Maraming salamat po sa effort ninyong lahat na matulungan kami. Hindi po ninyo alam kung gaano kalaking impact ang nagawa niyo sa buhay ni Papa at sa buong pamilya namin. God bless you all po.

Praise God!