I can't bear hearing a baby cry.

It's not that I hate listening to their shrieks but it's because I lost my first child saying goodbye to me with a cry for help as I held on her tiny right hand until her last breath.

The pain still lingers within me. I could have had a 5-year old daughter calling me daddy today asking me to bring her to the mall for a treat... for a new dress... for a cute doll.

But I know she's in a better place now looking over me, her mom and younger brother Charles.

A few weeks ago, a good friend and I had a chat online. It was not the usual friendly bantering when we talk about our projects, upcoming events and stuff. She opened up something personal... something unimaginable that despite in the smiley emoticons in our thread, I know that every word she typed in breaks her heart.

She just don't know how her story crushed my heart, too.

In a nutshell, here's the dilemma that my friend and her family is undergoing right now: Two new family members, 2-month old John Cyrus and 1-month old Kaniel Makeen, are fighting for their lives and both need a liver transplant.   

We all know how much is the cost of such procedure and its maintenance after the operation. And to have two loved ones suffering similar conditions at the same time is such a situation seems unbearable.

But the family is hanging on and vowed to face this battle and needs all the help they can get. They might be emotionally and financially bruised but they still have the fighting spirit and high hopes to overcome such adversary.

For now, sharing their story is the least that I can do. If you wish to help the family, a detailed post and info on how to reach them can be found at Our Priceless Treasures.

Guys, anyone there thinking of a great gift for a love one? Here's my suggestion: how about a caricature?

I am posting this to help a friend of Ms. Erlanie Manalo whom I stumbled upon in FB. Here's her actual note:

Hi Friends! I need your help regarding the baby of my High school friend Ren Bautista Chua. Her baby is sick, suffering from heart disease called junctional rhythm and she also have a hole in her heart. She would need a pacemaker to make her heart beat normal. That would cost P200-300k. We have fund raising project to finance Zoe's needs.

Jason, her husband is making caricature. for P1000, and additional P800 for every additional face in the artwork. Just send copy of your pictures... I hope you can help us by ordering caricature and circulating this fund raising project to your friend.

Here’s how to order:
1. Email your photo to zoecaricature@yahoo.com. Send 2-3 photos for reference.
2. Send the following details along with your photo.
...Name/ Contact No./ Specify Details (theme of the Caricature):
ex. Superman, playing golf, dancing queen, wedding, etc.
3. Please allow 5-7 working days for your caricature to be completed.
4. You will receive the artwork printed in 8x10 format.

PRICES:
Number of persons in a drawing: Price
1 P1000
2 P1800
3 P2600
4 P3400
5 P4200

*** Additional P800 for every additional person in the drawing
Add P100 for framed artwork
Add P200 for your caricature to be printed in mug.

NOTE: For orders outside Manila, there will be additional shipping cost.
Please send the payment to her bank account:
Account Name: Morena Amor Chua
Account Number: 658-3-658-15579
Bank: Metrobank Ortigas Emerald Ave.

Note: Email her the reference no./transaction no. once payment has been done.

For other inquiries, here’s her contact detail:
Mobile no. 0929-1156001
YM: chua.ren@yahoo.com
Email: zoecaricature@yahoo.com

In this post is a photo of Baby Zoe along with a sample caricature done by his dad. I myself is a father that's why I know what he's going through right now. I've been there not once but twice. Lost my first child in August 2007 and good thing my second kid survived pneumonia last December after 9 days in the hospital.

I hope this would reach people who can help baby Zoe. She's very cute even with a dextrose on. Pagaling ka agad, baby! Many people will help you!