Before she could even blow the candles on her cake for her 14th birthday, her wish was already granted three months in advance.
Mona Liza Aragon, a lupus patient from Rizal province, is living her dream to visit Cebu with her family.
“Di ko po inexpect na ngayong August po agad matutupad yung wish ko, November 24 pa po kasi yung birthday ko po, (I did not expect that my wish would be granted this August. My birthday is on November 24)” said Mona Liza.
Mona Liza is one of the beneficiaries of Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Mona Liza has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of joints, skin, blood vessels and organs. It causes the immune system to produce antibodies that attack the body’s healthy cells.
She was diagnosed with the condition in May last year and has been undergoing treatment since then at the De Luna Hospital in Rizal province.
Liza, her mother said, has shown a fighting spirit in dealing with her condition.
“I would cry at the thought of my daughter undergoing chemotherapy. But she makes it seem like it’s not a big deal,” said Liza.
Aida Calague, a nurse at the hospital endorsed her to the volunteers of the foundation.
Mona Liza said it was her cousin Maureen Dotinas, who told her stories of Cebu that made her want to visit. Dotinas was assigned in Cebu for almost a year.
Mona Liza said she did not expect her wish to be granted as she thought it was just an ordinary interview when Make-A-Wish volunteers visited her at the hospital.
CEbu trip
Mona Liza together with her family arrived in Cebu on Friday, their first family get-together since her soldier father Ramon was assigned in Israel for nine months.
“I’m really happy and very thankful for this since our usual bonding is eating at fast food chains. Now it’s quite grand,” said her father, Ramon.
The family is staying at the Marco Polo Plaza for the weekend with Jose Reyes, a volunteer of the foundation.
The family has gone swimming in Plantation Bay, toured Profood’s dried mango processing facilities in Mandaue, went shopping at SM City Cebu and had lunch at Zubuchon Escario, where they enjoyed Cebu lechon.
“Yung pinakagusto ko pong part yung kumain po, kasi ang sarap po kasi ng mga pagkain (My favorite part is the eating because the food here is really delicious), said Mona Liza in an interview.
“Nakakabilib lang po ang bilis nilang magbalat ng mangga,” she said about the family’s visit to Profoods. (They were impressed at how fast mangoes were peeled.)
They also visited the Basilica del Santo Niño and Magellan’s Cross. “Nakakapagod din po pero ang saya po talaga ng trip na ito.” (It was tiring but this trip has been so much fun.)
Expenses for the trip were shouldered by the foundation with the help of volunteers and hosts.
Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted 1,300 wishes of Filipino children aged 8 to 13 years old. It is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International. A briefing was held yesterday in Quest Hotel to invite Cebu volunteers to join the cause.