Glimpses...

JOHN 16:20

"Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice;

and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy."

HEBREWS 13: 15

" Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice that is,

the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

At the liver ICU

PHILIPPIANS 4: 19

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

HEBREW 4:16

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help

in time of need."

Dear God

Thank you very very much...

For the healing and wonderful touch.

We are truly happy for your amazing grace,

We lift our hands, Oh God we praise!

Let Your miracle powers be present today,

JC's healing and recovery is what we pray.

No words can express our deepest gratitude,

For every miracle You do is always enormous.

...Dream came true at the Liver ICU

It has been six years since we learned that our youngest son JC had biliary atresia.
A very dreadful disease that eventually may lead to his death unless he will have to undergo liver transplant. It was very difficult for our family to accept the fact that our precious youngest child will soon die. We went on with our lives...just depending on what will happen in the future will happen. Six years of being in and out of the hospital.He had asthma attacks for almost every month. We also came to a point of telling ourselves that we can not reach our dream...our dream to save JC from dying. We met a lot of difficulties for the past six years, Jan's medical needs, my in-laws business went bankrupt twice, job problems and losing our house...a number of difficulties that made us give up to raise funds for JC's liver transplant.

But God worked in mysterious ways. He has given us a chance to save our son JC from dying. He has helped us to meet people who were very willing to help us in different ways. We arrived at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung on December 3, 2009. With us is the strongest faith and the belief that JC will have a successful operation. Though the operation was a complicated one for JC's spleen was too much enlarged and thus, he had to stay at the Liver ICU for almost two months. We were only given a chance to see him through a monitor at a room near the Liver ICU for three times 11am, 2pm and 8pm. We saw JC cried in pain, complained that he was having difficulty with a lot of machines and tubes connected to him. That was the longest time of our (Ronnie and I) lives.
December 15 (the date of the liver transplant) up to February 18, 2010. JC has spent his Christmas and New Year inside the Liver ICU.He also had chylous leakage then, a condition wherein the two vacuum balls attached to his body for leaks showed that proteins from his body was coming out at the same time. The fluid that was coming out of the vacuum ball measured more than two liters per day which was not good. There was also problem on his nutrition so he had to have a no oil -no fat diet in which doctors had to change his milk to a special one. Those times were the most difficult part. But because God has helped and touched our family. JC was finally healed and was transferred to the general ward on February 19. A dream that we thought would never ever happen. A dream that we thought was impossible. But our dream really came true at the Liver ICU...when we first saw JC smiled at us...a real smile of a boy without pain anymore. Truly dreams really do come true. Because with God...nothing is really impossible!

We thank God for providing us with compassionate people to help us...

THANK YOU

We really appreciate you,

Your helpful, giving ways.

And how generous your heart,

Your unselfish displays.

We thank you for your kindness,

we will not soon forget;

You're one of the nicest people,

We have ever met.

OUR FAMILY IS TRULY THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT. JAN CIRYL HAD HIS FINAL CHECK-UP LAST MONDAY. DOCTORS SAID THAT HE IS VERY MUCH READY TO GO HOME. TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS! SEE YOU SOON!

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Jan Ciryl was born on September 23, 2003. He was born with a very rare liver disease called biliary atresia,a condition where the liver does not have bile ducts. He needed liver transplant in order to survive and live a normal life.Pediatric liver transplants can only be done outside the Philippines and costs around 3 to 4 million pesos.When Jan Ciryl was born on September 23, 2003, he had a lot of injections for two weeks because he had meconium staining. His skin became yellow in color so me and my husband Ronnie were worried. We brought JC to a doctor near our house.The doctor said that it was only a physiological jaundice. But his tummy got bigger at the same time the yellowing of the eyes and skin continued. We consulted an infant specialist and gastroentoentorologists. JC had a lot more laboratory tests. Ultrasound of the hepatobiliary system and determination of serum bilirubin and SGPT. No medications was prescribed then. Until at two months of age, he was still jaundiced. Ultrasound revealed non-visualization of the gall bladder. Direct bilirubin was 48 % of the total bilirubin. SGPT was elevated. Then he had his liver biopsy and it revealed that it was suggestive of biliary atresia and he was immediately referred for Kasai procedure. For a couple years, our family thought that the Kasai worked for him, the jaundice was a little cleared and the stool was kind of okay. But it was not what we expected. The problem was still there. JC's disease will never be cured unless he undergoes liver transplant. We were racing against time then. We were so much afraid that the disease might kill him anytime. Such liver transplant operation is not done in our country. We needed to bring JC in a nearby country for the transplant. The most difficult part was how to get the funds needed for the transplant cost. We met a lot of difficulties regarding JC's condition. He'd been hospitalized several times. He also had asthma attacks every now and then. For over five years of our battle, we came to a point that we could not do anything about JC's condition. We still have three other children to be taken cared of so...what happened at first was we have given up. Though, we were always there to bring him to doctors in times of need...we would seldom cry and... there was lost of strength and at the same time faith to our dear Almighty. Until I received an email from Ms. Jesilou Matubis inviting us to a photo exhibit in which biliary atresia babies would be the exhibit's beneficiary in April of 2009. The same night, we prayed and prayed and prayed. And asked our Lord for his guidance and grace. The next day we woke up, we were ready to be part of the photo exhibit. With the help of Lift Babies Foundation and the Matubis family, we were able to start the fund raising campaign for JC's liver transplant operation. During the photo exhibit, we've met families who have gone through the same situation. We were inspired by their stories especially the Sultan's struggle. We were definitely inspired also by Jeremaia's story. With God's divine intervention, amazing grace and provisions...we began to continue the battle. Promising ourselves to never give up whatever difficulty crosses our way. Believing that God is going to lead the way. Thus; FAITH to our Lord God is restored. From then on, we never got lost. The miracle of our Lord was shown to us since then. Carlos family saw our posts here in FB and Mr. Darwin Carlos sent me a message and told me that if in case we need help, they are willing to assist us. We met the Carloses then...again inspired by Rainier's story...gave a lot more strength and conviction for us to continue looking for possible help. We then began to raise funds in different ways. We truly proved the goodness of our dear God for providing us compassionate and charitable people. Difficulties came across our way...denials and rejections but still we continued to look for more help from different people and organizations from all walks of life. Literally, we begged help. But because we always kept our faith to God, we were able to raise funds that would able to have JC and his father Ronnie (as his liver donor)undergo pre-laboratory work-ups in preparation for the transplant operation. Unfortunately, we met another trial. Ronnie was not capable to be a liver donor for JC. It really devastated us for we were having the pre-labs already for three months. And what was came flashing into my mind then was who would volunteer to give part of his liver to our son JC. That was the toughest part. But because our God is very magnificent and merciful, JC's uncle Jasper volunteered to be his liver donor. Laboratory tests again were done for JC's liver donor. (his uncle Jasper) Fortunately, both of their lab test results were good. Fund raising...fund raising...fund raising again...And in between the months of September to November of 2009, JC was hospitalized several times. Liver transplant operation schedule was postponed three times. Some fund were used for JC's confinement. But because we really believe that we do not have to worry on how big our problem is but we believe how great our God is...we were able to bring JC here at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital on December 3, 2009. The liver transplant operation was done December 15. Though there were some complications before, and he had to stay at the Liver ICU for almost two months and again at the general ward for almost another two months...doctors said that JC's condition is stable as a whole. According to his doctors, wbc and platelet count are quite low but this is due to his enlarged spleen and has to be stabilized for now. His liver function showed great improvement every week. Praise God indeed! And at this point our hospital bill has reached its high to 1.950 million NT dollars and we're short for around NT$ 400 thousand...still our God is truly great. He is still using a lot of people here in Kaohsiung to help us. GLORY TO GOD INDEED! "IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU." 1 Thes. 5: 18

God has always been providing us with helpful,compassionate and charitable people!

the kindest people of Kaohsiung...

God is really good all the time.

He has been providing us with kind, helpful, compassionate and charitable people here in Kaohsiung.

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE:

1. Brother Deo Laranang and family

2. Gabriel and Angela

3. Sean

4. Ms. Joy

5. Ms. Sally

6. Ms. Sophia

7. God is Love family

8. St. Joseph and Cathedral's priests and parishioners

9. Kaohsiung Glory Christian Church

10. Sister Anny and her husband John (their church)

11. Ms. Mira Guevarra Huang of MECO

12. Ms. Michelle (friend of Ms. Mira)

13. Jenny Kang

14. Suyuhung

15. Pastor Terry Tiu and family

16. members of churches at the basement of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

17. a Christian Church in Nanzi

18. Tzu Chi Foundation (Joe, Janine, Sho-Chuan Li and other volunteers)

19. Filipino members of the JIL (Jesus is Lord) here in Kaohsiung

20. Ms. Ama (our dormitory caretaker)

21. Ms. Vilma Tadio

22. and to other liver transplant patients

23.esp Nathanael ( for initiating a fund campaign at the Mercury Bar )

24. Ms. Sally Webster

25. Ms. Jenny

26. Rotary South Kaohsiung

27. Bilingual Community Church

28. Kaohsiung International Church

Thank you so much to all who have helped us on our struggle here in Kaohsiung. Our family is truly grateful indeed for your help.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PART OF OUR STRUGGLE...

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF JAN'S LIFE...