I lost two of my friends from cancer in the past. One is our high school friend and clique who earned his angel’s wings last 2001 from Brain Cancer and the other is also a friend in the seminary who likewise had his angel’s wings in 1999 from Aplastic Anemia (autoimmune disorder of the blood-cell-generating bone marrow). Both Jeff and Jayvee are very dear to me in a way that they taught me how to live my remaining life as if it were my last. Jefferson was a high school buddy. He was a geek before who only knew how to drum his way out of boredom, read sci fi stuff, build and create airplane models, draw cartoons and be childish for joy’s sake. I’ve been to his house and hang out there since I was in the 7th grade. We do weird stuff together with his cousins like, creating fire extinguisher out of glass dextrose bottles, proving that light is faster than sound and having a grand debate about who’s who in the GI Joe and Transformers world.

Even when I was in the seminary, I still used to drop by to his house especially when I was on vacation or semestral break. The last time I saw him alive was in 1999 when he let me borrow his Dawson’s creek tape for me to listen to in the seminary. He was the one who suggested that I take it with me in the seminary so that I’ll be updated on the world’s trend. Then after a few years, the last thing I know was that he earned his angel’s wings already from the tumor.

Jayvee on the other hand was an aspirant in the Capuchin Order. During my first month in the seminary, I was assigned as the junior guest master. It just means that anyone who inquires about vocations and who visits the seminary as an aspirant, I would be the one to entertain them, accompany them and tour them on the seminary premises. That’s how I met Jayvee through another friend who was also an aspirant.

Then after a few months, he gradually became sick, became weak and his absence to some of the seminary events became frequent. Until one morning, my superior asked us all to go the hospital to test our blood and donate it to a person who has been described by my superior as “a dear friend of the seminary”. It was Jayvee. He had Aplastic Anemia, a fancy schamancy word for inability of the bone marrow to produce new blood cells to replace the old one. Without new blood cells, the old blood cells will die without any replacement, hence anemia. Though technically and medically, Aplastic Anemia is not a cancer but an Autoimmune disorder, yet at that time, Jayvee’s condition was likened by the doctors to cancer, having only six months to live.

When we finished undergoing blood tests, the hospital declared that only two of the seminarians have an absolute match on Jayvee’s blood. One was a brother and the other one was me. For months, my blood, platelets and other blood substances was literally running on Jayvee’s veins. It was like I’ve extended his life because of my blood. Yet after many months of back and forth in the hospital to donate my blood, Jayvee finally called it quits and died that year. The words that Jayvee said to his parents before he earned his angel’s wings was

“If God will ever give me a chance to live my life again, I would enter the Capuchin order this time”.

At that time I realized the need to share my life, the need to volunteer and live my life not just for me but also for my neighbors. That was the time that the urge to advocate for Cancer Patients has been instilled in me by my experience.

And since then, whether in and out of the blogosphere, I try my very best to extend a helping hand to the needy, well or unwell alike especially to Cancer Patients. More and more people are suffering from Cancer everyday. It is not anymore a rare case. My neighbor has cancer, a family friend has cancer, a former colleague has cancer, everyone is susceptible to this dreaded disease which render us clueless who the next victim will be. That is why the more the people are afflicted with this disease, the more we are urged to volunteer, take part and share our life with them. We are needed by our neighbor who are in need.

So what can we do to help: You don’t have to be Britney spears or Justin Timberlake to share your talents. You don’t have to be Bill Gates to share your treasure. And you don’t have to be Lydia de Vega or Usain Bolt AKA Bob Barker to share your time. What Our neighbors need is anything that you can give, without gauge, without limitations and without standards.

A simple smile, an everyday prayer, a weekly visit, a donation, everything and anything is welcome because love is never measured. It just flows whenever there is someone who needs it.

This Cancer Awareness week (January 19 to 25, 2009), let us all take part in simple ways, in grand ways or any ways that you are capable of in changing the lives, outlook and spirit of our neighbors, moreover, our brothers and sisters, afflicted with cancer because the “Charity of Christ Crucified urges us”.

Jeff and Jayvee is mirrored in our own lives. They can be your officemate, your colleague, your friend, your family or just a stranger who you meet everyday on the street. Jeff and Jayvee could be anyone of us.

So how about you? who is the Jeff and Jayvee in your life? Who among them will earn the angel’s wings?

From Fellow Bloggers

• dessert fishing – A Lung-Bursting Compliment!
• coolwaterworks – National Cancer Awareness Week
• bro. utoy – “uuhmmm…. what’s your sign ba?”
• mixglorioso - [Lung Cancer] Goodbye Mamay (Grandfather)
• doc rio – Anti Cancer…
• kamotenista – Give Hope and Support People with Cancer
• dong ho – Cancer Awareness – SU2C
• lalaine – Fight Cancer! Prevent it, Detect it, treat it RIGHT!
• cza – Were You Depressed Yesterday?
• teresa – I care
• jepoy – A Hypospray for Cancer
• glen ramos – knowing is half the battle
• rev. siopao – National Cancer Awareness Week
• rocky – a post against cancer