Written by Jemma S. Tañada, Writer, Operation Blessing Philippines
Ercie smiles during the interview.
Raising your own child might seem so easy, but the truth is it’s challenging. It will demand your everything. But how much more does it take to raise someone else’s child, a child with special needs? Only persons with so much love and compassion who can go the extra mile can do that.
Meet Ercie Huvilla, 11, an adopted child of the Huvilla family. Three hours after he was born, his mother abandoned him in the care of their relatives.
Raising Ercie is challenging, but the Huvilla family did not give up. While growing, his foster family learned that he has cerebral palsy. Due to his condition, neither he can go to school nor go outside of the house. He himself could not see the beautiful world.
Ercie receives his first wheelchair
His adoptive grandmother, Emma Huvilla, 79, is the one who is untiringly takingcare of Ercie, while her third child Bona, 48, his adoptive mother, a secondary teacher, is the one providing for all his needs.
Ercie has never experienced having his own wheelchair because Bona’s salary is sufficient only for the child’s medicines and sanitary kits. He stays on the floor with mattress all-day-long. Emma wanted to take him outside, but due to her age and the pain in her hips, she has difficulty carrying and taking him outside.
The Huvilla family do not treat Ercie as a burden, for them Ercie is a gift from God that needs to be loved and taken care of.
Operation Blessing (OB) Philippines met Ercie and his family during its wheelchair mission, in partnership with the Free Wheelchair Mission in Sorsogon City. Gratefully, he is one of the recipients who received a free wheelchair.
Now, Ercie can go outside and see the beautiful world, thanks to you who helped us! We, at Operation Blessing cannot do these things without you! Thank you for your generosity! Together let us continue to inspire change and transform more lives like Ercie’s! Visit us at www.obphil.com/home/give-through-banks.
