My dear readers,I am storming the gates of heaven for a little boy I hardly know. His name is Jose Emilio, or Mio, he is 5 years old and he is fighting for his life.
I know his mother, Jasmine Mendiola. We used to work together--she's the former fashion editor of Total Girl and she's a makeup artist so we've been at a couple of shoots in the past.
Jasmine is a fighter, very tough and very strong. I only hope her beautiful child inherited some of her strength because he's going to need it in his fight against leukemia. Mio has acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the white blood cells. These cells fight infections. When a person has ALL, his body has a harder time fighting infections.
How does one even explain to a five-year-old kid that his body has rebelled against him? The diagnosis was made just this week so we are all just reeling from the shock and praying, praying, praying. Jasmine has started a blog--it's very raw and emotional and reading it is heartbreaking. I can't even imagine what she is going through as she writes:"He knows he’s sick and yet he remains thankful to God in our evening prayer for the toys he receives, for the nurses and the medicine that will help his 'owie' go away. I have yet to give him the world I promised him.
I think you’ll all agree when I say that Mio deserves this army. His childhood is the war I wage. I’ve always thought I had forever with my little boy and I used to just want it to pass us by so he can be a grown man, the kind who is everything good, smart, healthy and handsome.
I’ll have to put that on hold and fight this battle NOW... I have nothing but your love and support although I hate being over-bearing. But like any parent, I will beg, borrow or steal. But we are good people with kind hearts. I can only ask for you to rally the gates of heaven so my son—and all the other children in the world unjustly suffering this illness to have a chance at a normal and yes, dramatic life."
At this point, we all don't know how to make this mother's pain go away so I will very humbly ask my readers to help Mio fight his leukemia by donating whatever amount you can to help finance his chemotherapy. We will appreciate anything you can give at all!
If you wish to contact Jasmine, please visit her blog, The Enemy in Mio's Body. And please keep Mio in your prayers. We need those most of all. Thank you!DONATION UPDATE: Gosh, the PayPal donate button isn't working. Sorry! (Thanks, Rowie for telling me about that!) While I try to figure out how that works, the PayPal email address to send your donation to is prettypeddler@yahoo.com.ph. I'll coordinate with Jasmine on how we can make donating easier--I know some of you prefer G-Cash or bank transfers. Again, thank you! Please spread the word!
ANOTHER UPDATE: I'm selling beauty products to raise money for Mio's treatment. Go to my beauty blog (click here) and please shop! Thank you!
all photos from Jasmine's Facebook account
Hi Frances.. this brought an ache to my already aching heart. I will pray for your friend.
ReplyDeleteWhen little children get afflicted by something as horrendous as cancer I feel so very saddened and helpless...every child everywhere has the right to health and a happy life.
ReplyDeleteThe tears are flowing freely as I'm reading this post. Mio is a special little boy. I'm sending him and his mommy a million heartfelt prayers, and I wish them both strength and faith.
many blessings,
Duni
Hi Frances!
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you had this post up. I will include him and his family in my prayers, too. My eyes welled up with tears when I read her blog.
Jasmine was my junior in highschool.
this has got to be the biggest tearjerking news I ever got this year! Oh my... I know Jasmine and she was supposed to rent my Pioneer condo kaya lang naudlot and I follow her wonderfully-written stories about her dear Mio. I haven't met the little boy personally but even through her mommy's stories about him, it's impossible to not fall in love with him. Will be you in prayers Jas... Trust in HIM.
ReplyDeleteHi Frances! Binabasa ko pa lang post mo napapaiyak na ako. I can't imagine how Mio's mom is undergoing right now. Napakasakit sa isang Mother to see her child sa ganitong situation. I have a son too, and everyday I pray not for fame or for richness but for my boy's health.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely pray for Mio and to all kids with conditions such as this.
Thanks for posting, it's so humbling.
I stumbled upon this blog. I don't really know Jaz but I've spoken with her once or twice and she is a friend of a friend. But as a mother myself my heart is broken. Thank you for posting this donation link. May I share this post with others in case they want to donate too?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
I tried the Paypal link but I can't seem to get it to work. May I know what email address to send the donation to? Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteEverybody, thank you--your support means so much to Jasmine and Mio. Together, we can beat this cancer! Please continue praying for this family! God bless all of you!
ReplyDeleteoh no... :( What horrible news. I'm writing this comment to you in tears. I will include them in my prayers <3 It's just so sad that it's happening to such a young boy.
ReplyDeleteIt just breaks my heart to hear about Mio's condition. I just had to give my little boy a kiss and a hug after reading your posts. No mother deserves to experience this kind of pain. Being a mom myself, I would rather experience 100 times the pain that cancer brings than having to see my son endure it. Jas, we'll include you in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteMy brother died 11 yrs ago due to ALL, too. We lost most of what we had for his chemo sessions and still lost him after only 6 months. He was only 15 when he died.
ReplyDeleteI hope Jasmine and Mio will have a better story to tell. I'll include them in my prayers.
Oh that is awful! I will keep this little one in my prayers xx
ReplyDelete