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Surabaya Sharing
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 THE
MIRACLEOF FATIMA
- By Bombet Malinao
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I chanced upon
something special during a recent vacation - I met FATIMA through the
Philippine TV drama “Maalaala
Mo Kaya?”
(translated: Do
You Remember?).
Fatima is a ten year
old girl who is suffering from a kidney ailment. Since only 20% of her
kidneys is functioning, she has to undergo dialysis FIVE…yes, FIVE times
a DAY. This means she is being dialyzed every five hours after which she
feels so drained and weak. And not only that… the poor girl has been
partially blind since she was born.
Okay… a lot of
children are blind and a lot of them have crippling illnesses, so what
makes Fatima special?
Despite being sick
and being blind, Fatima doesn’t complain. In fact, she is so cheerful she
goes out of her way to tell people that she feels better after every
dialysis and that she thinks she is going to be well. Her parents who
have been so supportive of her are amazed at the girl’s courage. One time,
Fatima almost died due to a seizure while undergoing dialysis, but she
believes the Lord allowed her to come back because her parents love her so
much.
One time, she called
Fr. Jerry Orbos in his radio program and shared her life story with the
listeners. She encouraged the listeners with similar illness not to give
up and those with problems not to lose hope. To trust in the goodness of
the Lord, and believe that everything will be all right. During Fr.
Jerry’s 50th birthday celebration, Fatima sang a song, which
melted everyone’s heart.
As in every
encounter, I learned a lot from Fatima. First, her courage made me feel
ashamed of the many times I complain of the smallest things…of the
housework I have to do everyday, the traffic I have to go through to go
shopping, my grey hair, which is starting to be more visible, and the
countless other concerns that occupy my mind. If this girl can endure
going through dialysis five times a day without complaining, if she can
give so much joy to her family despite being blind…what right do I have
to complain of the small discomforts in my everyday life.
Second, the
community spirit has prevailed again. Many people were touched by
Fatima’s story and have offered financial help for the girl’s medical
care. After the airing of her story on TV, the viewers were encouraged to
text the station and the funds collected went to Fatima’s hospital costs.
The family has been looking for a kidney donor and everyone is sure that
one will be found… in God’s time.
Fatima is a
living proof that miracles happen everyday, if only we will go beyond our
human frailties and search within our hearts for what our eyes cannot see.
I thank the Lord for making me miss out on some of the things I intended
to do during my vacation, and instead make me experience the miracle of
FATIMA.
- TELL US LIKE IT IS!
- Has
something wonderful and unique happened in your life lately? Did God
answer your prayer in a very unexpected way? Did you, like Isaiah, meet
God’s whisper?
- Have you felt His
powerful hand working in your life recently?
- Everyday, people
are experiencing God’s mighty Word in their lives and it is a pity that
very few know about it. Do you have a story to tell? Some Good News to
share?
- E-mail us (genesis@catholic.org) or fax us
(021-6627384), and tell us about it. That’s right! You don’t have to be
a great writer to do this. We can help you write it – just tell us like
it is!
- Don’t forget to
write the subject: “Let Me Tell You A Story”
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IN THIS ISSUE:
HIS Servant
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Our Faith
By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC
Surabaya Corner
By Ramon Martillano
Place of Refuge
By Philip Yuson
Straight from the Heart
By Carolle Bautista
G* KIDSPACE
By Tintin Magbitang
Community Life ~
Here's the Latest
By Pinky Torres
Surabaya Sharing
By Bombet Malinao
Saint for the Month
Source: Catholic Online
On Focus
By Sansu Garin
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