• Home

Charity drive raises funds for cancer boy

Organisers of the event confirmed that more than Dh40,000 had been collected in donations and more financial pledges were still expected to be forwarded to them next week.

Liza Concepcion, Chairwoman of the Filipino Off-Road Auto Club (FORAC), said the collected amount will be donated for the medical treatment of six-year-old Filipino Erriszel ‘Erryl’ Cortez, who is being treated at the Tawam Hospital in Al Ain.

Suffering from leukaemia for nearly two years, Erryl is scheduled to be transferred to a hospital in Italy today for further treatment and an eventual bone marrow transplant.

In a highly emotional scenario, supporters of Erryl’’s cause, men and women alike, have expressed sympathy for the Cortez family led by the boy’s mother, Emilyn.

“Erryl is not related to any of you by blood but your mere presence here has shown us that you love him as your own. My family and I are overwhelmed by your concern and genuine support. Please continue to pray for my son’s recovery,” said the 27-year-old mother who failed to hold back her tears.

Rene Bueno, Erryl’s maternal grandfather, also became emotional as he held a copy of his grandson’s photograph. “He is such a fighter,” Bueno said about his grandson. “He actually claimed that he is already well despite the fact that his blood count has not been normal. He really wanted to live,” the grandfather said.

Nida Bueno, Erryl’s grandmother who took care of him for five years in the Philippines before his parents brought him to the UAE, said that last week the family had practically lost hope when doctors at the Tawam Hospital said they could no longer do anything for the child.

“Perhaps it is Erryl’s strong faith that always makes him bounce back. His white bloodcells went up 15 times higher than what the average level should be but after a few days, it normalised. The doctors have considered that a miracle in ” Mrs Bueno said.

Erryl, who was in Al Ain with his father at the time of the motorcade, only asked his mother to bring him one of the blue balloons that were ceremoniously released at the park. “He also wanted me to take pictures of the people here, whom he said, loves him,” Emilyn told Khaleej Times.

The one-day event dubbed ‘Hawak Kamay’ (Joined Hands) 2007, said Concepcion, has served as venue where Filipinos showed their solidarity and sense of brotherhood at a time of difficulty. The FORAC plans to hold the event as an annual activity in support of various causes. Concepcion added that they have also received pledges from outside the Filipino community.

• UAE