breathing hope

Last week, I received a message in my Facebook inbox from JoniTet. Kcat Yarza, an avid supporter of Big Boy and a contributor in Manila Bulletin is doing an article about him. She was asking us how Big Boy Jon Angelo inspired us and touched our lives. Then messages started coming in from people, all with nice things to say about their experience with Big Boy.

Here's my say:

Big Boy has been the brother that I never had, a younger sibling that I was longing for, and now an angel that I wish would guide me in whatever I do. He opened my eyes to the reality that I should always count my blessings and always be thankful for everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in my life. He inspired me to do good, for myself and for others. He is indeed God's gift to anyone who is facing crossroads in his/her life. I wish that he will continue to inspire people to breathe hope to anyone who's in dire need of it and to understand the true meaning of living.

You may read Kcat's article after the jump...

dear jon

Last summer, I got to know big boy Jon Angelo Modesto Viado through Anne Curtis' tweet about Breathe Hope bracelets. At first I was really not that concerned. All I want is that bracelet which I presumed a collector's item. What hit me was the entries found in his blog. Detailed there was his current situation, his illness, how he's battling all odds to survive, and how his parents never gave up. I was at the office when I found out about it and I cried while reading the entries.

Right there and then I told myself that I will be involved with this baby. I may not be there to help him financially, I'll give him my time. I will let him feel that he's not alone, that they're not alone. So I took effort to rally orders for the Breathe Hope bracelets from my friends and officemates. And it was pretty much a success.

Finally got to visit him on Independence Day, a day before he turned two. It was really a humbling experience seeing him lying there asleep, with the tubes stuck in his throat for him to breathe and nose for milk and water to pass through. Here lay an innocent child, fighting for his dear life. And all I did was complain about simple things in life. I felt ashamed and at the same time humbled. From then on I promised myself that I'll be there for big boy no matter what.

Before I flew for Cebu on my birthday, I visited him at the JRMMC where he was confined. Initially, I really wanted to celebrate my birthday with him. But I was bound for Cebu that same day so I visited him a day earlier instead. It was a nice birthday gift seeing him there, well not on that state. Just seeing him uplifts my spirits.

Since then I made it a point to visit him at least once every month. Even joined the fun run at Camp Aguinaldo. That was also memorable since I wasn't really a runner and my endurance is failing me. But I was able to finish 5k at an impressive 4.45 time, at least in my record.

Through it all, I never got tired visiting him. Not once. Coz I always get recharged when I see him. Though seeing him at his lowest points, siezures and all, really breaks my heart. But seeing him fight makes me want to fight with him. I always made it a point to include him in my prayers. Coz only Him can make all big boy's pains go away. I claimed it. We claimed it. But everything needs to end at some point. And so does big boy's battles.

This morning, January 31, our big boy Jon Angelo joined our Creator. It was really really painful reading that one liner text from Tet/Joni. Never really expected it ending that way. Me not visiting him this month. Yes I got to see him at St. Luke's during one of his check-ups. But for me that ain't enough. Not the thing that I promised him. Baby Jon Angelo's passing created a vast empty space in my heart. We weren't related by blood. But at least we have this connection. And that connection is strong enough that his passing couldn't break.

In life, I have so many regrets. Everyone does. And a number of those involves big boy. I regret not seeing him enjoy Enchanted Kingdom, one of his parents' wishes last year. Imagining him at the Grand Carousel will forever be etched in my mind. I regret not seeing him on my birthday. I regret not being able to join Run For Hope 2. I regret not seeing him in full "Russel" outfit. I regret not joining the Benefit Dinner at Max's. I regret not visiting him during the Christmas break. I regret not seeing him after New Year. I regret not joining the the Thanksgiving celebration for close Breathehopers. Most of all, I regret not writing a letter for Dear Jon. I regret that he won't be able to read all those inspiring letters that fellow Breathehopers had written for him. He was supposed to read them after he gets better. We claimed it. He'll be able to read them all.

I know this is late, but as the saying goes...better late than never...

Dear Jon,

You may not remember me physically since everytime I get to visit you, you're always asleep. But I very much know in spirit that you know me pretty well. Kuya Caloi here, a certified Breathehoper.

I made a promise that I'll always be there for you. I may be absent in a few occasions but please don't ever think that my love and concern for you diminishes. It will always be there, too bad that my schedule really was tight and in some circumstances,  my health failed me. I don't want you getting colds also.

If you only knew how much I love you Big Boy. You're like a family already, one of my pamangkins. The bond that we have is so strong. Stronger than blood. Are we related in our past lives?

You gave hope to me just as we Breathe Hope for you. You kept me grounded and thankful for all blessings that come my way. Because of you, I got closer to Him. You're always in my prayers Jon, you will always be. no matter what.

I really hate seeing you in your lowest points, may it be in your mini-ICU or in one of the hospitals. It breaks my heart. But you made me proud. Fighting that condition is not an easy task. Thankfully, Joni and Tet were there 100%. Couldn't ask for any other parents to take care of you.

You are truly an inspiration to everyone. To your family, friends, and complete strangers that joined the Breathe Hope campaign. Though you left us and now enjoying God's company, I am still thankful that even for a short period of time, you were with us. Fighting for us. Showing us how life should be handled. For that I thank you.

Baby Jon Angelo, you'll always be my Big Boy! I LOVE YOU and I'm missing you already. Hope you're enjoying a normal life in heaven. You deserve that. Til we meet again JON ANGELO MODESTO VIADO! Til we meet again...

-- Kuya Caloi

PS: Tonight, reality will hit me. I dunno if I can look at your remains. I don't want seeing you lifeless. But I know you're now at peace and pain-free. I LOVE YOU BIG BOY! Will always do.

run for hope II

See you there!!!

5k runners from Run For Hope (Sept.12):

run for hope - the aftermath

The Run for Hope was held last September 12 (Sunday) at the AFP Grounds of the Camp Aguinaldo. Organized by Rai and Sol Mata, ardent supporters of big boy Jon Angelo. Even if less than a hundred attended, the event was still a success. It held to its objective of creating awareness towards big boy's condition and what we can do to ease whatever he's experiencing.

Through this fun run, we were able to solidify our commitments to big boy and his Breathe Hope campaign. I decided to take the 5k run (since most of those who chose the 3K were girls haha). It was really tiring. For a minute there I would have borrowed big boy's oxygen tanks coz I really had a hard time breathing. So what I did was I ran the 2k and walked the 3k. Honestly, I did more walk than run. Need to practice more for the second edition of the Run For Hope come October 9. I finished the race in 48 minutes. If and only if I decide to run again, I will make sure that I'll beat this 48 minutes. Maybe shed off a couple of minutes to my time clock. LOL

Tet delivering her emotional speech:

And the winners:

Happy family despite all the lows. Hold on a little bit more JoniTet. In His time everything will be okay. Big boy will recover. And we will be there to witness it.

run for hope

Remember Jon Angelo Viado, the Breathe Hope baby? There’ll be a fundraising project for him this Sunday (Sept. 12) called RUN FOR HOPE. The fun run will be held at the AFP Grounds at Camp Aguinaldo 630am. Registration is P400 inclusive of the Run for Hope shirt and bracelet. All proceeds will be deposited to his account.

If you can’t make it to the fun run, you can still help by donating the P400. You’ll still get the limited edition Run For Hope shirt and bracelet.

Hope you can spend your Sunday with us and help continue Breathing Hope for big boy Jon Angelo.

Good news, he’ll be getting his very own mechanical ventilator soon! Thank you for helping him through the Breathe Hope bracelets. But this doesn’t end with the mechanical vent. He still needs to undergo several operations for him to be seizure-free. And he still needs to undergo several therapy sessions for him to learn how to breathe on his own. So please do include him in your daily prayers. J

For more info, you can visit his sites:

http://jonangelo13.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/jonangelo13

http://www.twitter.com/babyJonAngelo

http://www.twibbon.com/join/Breathe-Hope-Small

an afternoon with Jon Angelo

My first visit to big boy Jon Angelo was during Independence Day. It was the first time I interacted with the miracle big boy. Next was on my birthday eve while he was admitted at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center. Those are June and July in the attendance sheet. So I won't let August pass by without seeing him.

Even if my colleagues backed out the last minute, I still pushed through to Tandang Sora just to see Jon Angelo. Seeing big boy again is refreshing. He's like an oasis in the desert. Even if he's just lying there in his hospital bed, you'd feel his presence. And just staring at him makes me smile and wonder how strong big boy is. He's my idol.

It's just weird that in my last three visits (including this one), big boy is sleeping. Not getting any luck of playing with him. So instead Tet and Joni got me preoccupied with stories from Tet's Fanneatics gigs to big boy's series of seizures lately. Right then and there it happened. Jon Angelo suddenly moved, opened his eyes then his arms started to shake a bit. I was told that he was having a seizure again. At that point I was a bit scared since I know that seizures mean there's not enough oxygen entering the brain. And that's bad. And I wasn't ready to witness it. But they assured me that it's not that serious really. Neuro said that seizures of more than a minute are the more serious episodes which might damage the brain. Jon's seizures usually last about 6 seconds. I got my consciousness back.

On a lighter note, there are big plans for Breathe Hope. Given that the Breathe Hope bracelet was a success, they will follow it through with the release of the Breathe Hope shirts which I'm positive that will also be a big hit. Rai Mata, a big supporter of big boy, is also planning a fun run entitled RUN FOR HOPE to be held this September 12 at Camp Aguinaldo. Hope more and more people will show their support and help breathe hope into Jon Angelo so that he'll be given a chance to experience a normal life.

And I saved the BEST for last. Finally, big boy will have his very own mechanical ventilator. Thanks to everyone who supported Breathe Hope. This is just the start. Let's continue breathing hope for big boy.

big boy jon-jon's 2nd gift

This entry is a continuation of my blog entry  "a meaningful independence day". So we got to visit Breathe Hope baby Jon Angelo (I know I promised not to call him baby since big boy na sya) last Independence Day. Mommy Tet surprised me with a footprinted thank you picture of Jon-Jon. But the surprise didn't stop there. I got a PM at facebook from Daddy Joni asking me of my address. Turned out he'll be sending us (yes you! betch, mitch, and sab) limited edition newport Breathe Hope bracelets. WOW!

And here is my collection of Newports!

a meaningful independence day

While PGMA spent P10,000,000 for the Independence Day celebration, we chose to visit our angel on Independence Day. It was really planned weeks before that I'll visit baby Jon-Jon. But then some of those who said yes before suddenly backed out for different reasons. Anyways, I told myself that I'll still go kahit ako lang mag-isa. Thank God (takot ako mawala) Sab and Mitch said yes. And the last minute, Betchay tagged along.

The plan was, I'll be meeting Mitch and Betch at McDo Philcoa then we'll meet Sab at McDo Tandang Sora. But Mitch's cab chose to pass by Katipunan kaya natraffic so we shifted to plan B. Met them at McDo Tandang Sora na lang. Looking for Sta. Lucia street was hard. But the Rosalia Compound signage was easy to locate thanks to Sab.

At first, nahiya kami kasi parang kami nga lang bisita. Eh likas pa naman kaming mahiyain LOL. Anyways, we finally met Mommy Tet and Daddy Joni. In just minutes, palagay na agad kami sa kanila. It's as if we've known each other for some time. Then there he was, in an airconditioned room. Ang nasabi ko lang eh... Woah! Ang puti pala talaga ni Baby Jon! hehe

Things to remember when visiting baby Jon: First, please take a bath. Para naman mabango tayo pag lalapit kay Baby Jon. Baka biglang ma-allergy eh. Then pagpasok ng room you need to wear lab gown/dress. Don't forget to wash your hands before humawak kay Baby Jon para naman safe sya. If you'll be bringing cameras, please don't forget to turn off the flash. Nagugulat kasi sya sa sudden flash. Please don't kiss him if may sipon or ubo kayo. Please please no no. Please observe these para naman safe din si Baby Jon.

Honestly, when Mommy Tet let us watch Baby Jon's video, I was fighting back my tears. Told myself I won't show them any tear. Hindi dapat iniiyakan ang case ni baby Jon. Dapat pa nga tayong ma-inspire coz he's fighting. He's not giving up. Mommy Tet and Daddy Joni aren't giving up too. Dun ako lalong natouch. After hearing what they've gone through the past year, I've told myself that I won't give up also on my personal struggles. Sobrang babaw pa nga nun compared to what they are experiencing. And I promised this to myself, no matter what happens, I'll always find time for Baby Jon Jon. Coz he inspired me to become a better person even without him knowing.

In return, I'll actively campaign for Breathe Hope. I'll continue spreading the message and Baby Jon's story. I won't stop until he finally can breathe on his own without the tubes. He taught me not to give up on hope. And I won't! In His time I know Baby Jon will be healed completely.


So guys, please spread Breathe Hope to your families, in your workplace, in every way you could.

breathe hope

Baby Jon Angelo M. Viado is a brave 1-year & 8-month old boy suffering from Hypoxic Ischemic Encepalopathy (HIE). He is hooked to a mechanical ventilator 24/7 to help him breathe.  Please breathe into this dear little angel by helping us raise funds to buy his very own mechanical ventilator.

The "emblem" designed as breathe hops is inspired by the tracheostomy tube attached to the neck of baby Jon allowing entry of air and oxygen that goes into his lungs-this is for him to live.

You can add him up at his facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/jonangelo13

or at his foundation blog: http://jonangelo13.blogspot.com

Baby Jon Angelo somehow touched me even if I haven't seen him yet. So in my own way I would want to be of help.


You can place your orders in his facebook account or if you're within Ortigas and San Juan areas, you can course through your orders with me. Just in case you'd want to extend help, he's got a BPI account in his foundation blog.


Let's all help Baby Jon Angelo through BREATHE HOPE. And also, let's all include him in our prayers. I, personally, would want Baby Jon Angelo experience living a normal kid's life so all help will be greatly appreciated.


Please also spread the word to your families, workmates & colleagues, and friends.

Click here for designs and price

baby jon angelo

Last Friday, I came across @annecurtissmith's tweet regarding a H.O.P.E. bracelet. It drove my curiosity and I chose to open the link. Turned out it's a fund-raising drive for @babyJonAngelo who's diagnosed with mild Cerebral Palsy, G.E.R.D (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder) Seizure disorder, H.I.E. (Hypoxic Ischemic Encepalopathy). He's mechanically ventilated 24/7 at home. He's been confined at ICU for 123 days (March26 to July28). And did I mention that he's just about to turn to two?

Let me take this opportunity to knock on your hearts for Baby Jon Angelo. He needs our prayers. And he needs our help and assistance for his medical expenses. Please click on the link below for his Facebook account and website. Also, in his website can be found his BPI account in case you'd want to share financial assistance. Let's include Baby Jon Angelo in our prayers that he becomes better and live his life as normal as possible.

http://jonangelo13.blogspot.com

http://facebook.com.com/jonangelo

http://twitter.com/babyJonAngelo