He was hardworking, energetic, and very loving as a father until he lost his vitality to stroke. This is the story of Reynaldo Delmo.
Reynaldo used to gather and sell sea urchins (tayom) by the beach in Matabungkay, Batangas, one of the well-known tourist destinations in the area. He would usually be up before the sun to collect sea uchins so that by the time the neighborhood is awake, he would be ready to sell them. He did everything to provide for his family.
Reynaldo’s family resides in a bungalow type of house, but the lot belongs to someone else whom they do not know. This makes them informal settlers. His wife sells toys and souvenirs for the tourists by the beach. Their income combined is barely enough for their day-to-day needs.
Time came when Reynaldo developed hypertension. But because of financial difficulties, he couldn’t take his maintenance medication regularly.
It alarmed the whole family when he had stroke last May 2022. He was confined in the hospital for two weeks. Up to this day, half of his body is still paralyzed, and he still can’t talk. The medical expenses almost sapped all that they had.
His son, Ian Timothy, reached out to Operation Blessing Foundation to ask for help. After complying with the requirements, OB came all the way to their house to provide medicine, blood pressure monitor, blood glucose meter, adult diapers, and a pack of groceries. The medicine covers six months which is enough time for him to regain strength and mobility through therapy. Our local church partner was also there to minister God’s love and pray for the whole family.
As one of the OB staff was praying and encouraging Reynaldo, his face looking intently down to the ground turned red, then tears welled up in his eyes until they fell. His words may not come out, but his tears say a lot. We believe they were tears of joy, hope, and inspiration.
From being the provider of the family, Reynaldo now can’t even stand. And we can only imagine how difficult it is for him not being able to express what he wants to say in words. Nevertheless, we trust that our encouragement through God’s love penetrated his heart and somehow gave him hopes of being better again. The whole family was also happy and thankful for the help they received.
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Help bring hope to more people like Reynaldo! Donate to www.operationblessing.ph/give or call us on 09399215543 for more details.
DSWD-SB-SP-000061-2021-Nationwide. Valid until Nov 23, 2022.