Written by Hannah Joy Osorio, Volunteer, Operation Blessing Philippines
It was on the hot afternoon of December 20, 2013 when Chester Mae Placa, 20, of Zone 3, Sta. Fe, Leyte was rushed to the hospital. After numerous tests and careful examination, the 1st year BS Accountancy student at Dr. Filemon C. Memorial College, Las Piñas, Manila was diagnosed to have meningitis by her doctor. Meningitis is “a serious and often deadly disease in which an outside layer of the brain or spinal cord becomes infected and swollen.”
Since her mother, Jessica Placa, 44, is an Overseas Filipino Worker at Jeddah, it was her aunt, younger brother, and younger sister who assisted and accompanied her back to Leyte on January 11, 2014.
By the following year, March 2015, she could no longer speak nor walk. Her bones were starting to contract due to minimal physical exercise, and having no physical exercise would lead to the locking of her bones and completely shrink parts of her body.
Ms. Lanie Labrador, the outreach coordinator of New Life Baptist Church of Palo, tapped and asked Operation Blessing if Mae-mae could become a beneficiary of the Free Wheelchair Mission. Operation Blessing acknowledged and granted Ms. Lanie’s request.
Ear-to-ear smiles were painted on Mae-mae and her family’s faces when she finally sat on her new wheelchair. Now, Mae-mae can attend the service at the Sta. Fe gym together with her family every Sunday afternoon, as well as Ms. Lanie’s Bible study schedule to be able to declare more of God’s love and faithfulness in their lives.
HELP US BRING HOPE ON WHEELS!
By partnering with Operation Blessing, you help us distribute wheelchair units from Free Wheelchair Mission to provinces around the country. Call us at (02) 477-7802 today to partner in this endeavor!
