Tuesday, June 13, 2006

When do you start loving a child?

My family suffered our own tragedy. I know our loss is trivial to most people, almost a non-issue. I have been told pasagdi na lang na. Binuang ra bitaw. Hasta kana ra. But I begged to disagree. It matters to us. This means the world to us.

All of you out there who are mothers and fathers to precious children ……. and even if you are not a parent yet, one way or another, there must be a little one whom you hold close to your heart, let me ask this question….

When do you start loving a child?

Will your love start only when you see your crying baby? Will that rush of tenderness flood your heart only when you hold that wriggling bundle for the first time? … when you can already see and feel its soft skin, smell its sweet breath, feel its warmth?

I learned I was pregnant on April 26. I had my miscarriage on May 9. How many days were that? Until now, I have not determined that yet. But it does not really matter, because during that very short time, the baby inside my womb was as real to me as my 6-year old daughter, Abby. I fell in love with that baby from the first moment I learned I had that little life growing in my womb. For some, my baby was merely a mass of dead tissue, not even human yet, much less a baby. But I already had a name for that “tissue”. Had my baby been born a girl, I would have called her Maria, in honor of our Holy Mother. Her nickname would have been MAIA. She would have been my little bird. But she never got her chance to fly. Her wings were broken too soon.

My faith in God is very simple. I believe that God has plans for all of us. I believe that there is meaning and purpose and reason for every little event in our lives. No matter how small, it is part of a grand plan engineered by our Great Creator. And even for the greatest pain, a reason and a purpose can be found. And somehow, someway, good will come out of it.

I cannot and will not accept that God will give and take away for nothing. I need to find the meaning and purpose behind my loss and my grief. I need that to ease my pain.

That’s why I need to ELEVATE our own personal tragedy to a higher plane. I am committed to turning my grief in an advocacy that will benefit not only my family but as many people as possible.

These are my requests from Silliman University Medical Center Foundation, Inc. (SUMCFI).

1. I am requesting Silliman Medical Center to publicly commit that they will implement a true and genuine VALUES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. Basically, I am challenging this institution TO TEACH THEIR EMPLOYEES BASIC GOOD MANNERS. I hope that from this will flow APPROPRIATE REGARD FOR THE SENSIBILITIES OF THOSE WHO COME TO THEM FOR SUCCOR.

2. Finally, IT WOULD MAKE ME VERY HAPPY AND WILL GIVE MEANING TO MY FAMILY’S LOSS, IF THE ADMINISTRATION OF SILLIMAN MEDICAL CENTER WILL AGREE TO POST PROMINENT SIGNS IN THE HOSPITAL PREMISES AND IN ALL THE HOSPITAL ROOMS, THAT PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES AS WELL AS OTHER CLIENTS, MAY HAVE RECOURSE AND CAN REPORT TO A RESPONSIBLE PERSON, ANY INAPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR THAT THEY MAY ENCOUNTER FROM ANY HOSPITAL PERSONNEL.

How hard can these be for a Christian institution such as Silliman Medical Center?

Please help me get them. It is within your power to help me get my simple requests. By myself, there is nothing much that I can do. I am just a small housewife from Dumaguete City. I am practically a non-entity here. I have no professional title or prominent lineage, no family name that spells power, wealth and influence.

But if you will join my cause, they might listen and pay attention. BOMBARD Silliman Medical Center with emails expressing your views. Please urge them to make those simple reforms. After all, I asked nothing for myself.

All that I ever want is find that meaning and purpose behind our loss, why God gave and took back too soon.

When I see those reforms, I know I will find closure. My pain will be eased. I will see the reason why God is making us go through all these. I will see the GOOD that will come out from my pain.

Thank you so much for your support.


You may e-mail:

MR. ROBERTO MONTEBON
President / Administrator
Silliman University Medical Center Foundation, Inc.
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Philippines

e-mail address: sumcfi_99@yahoo.com

1 comment:

Timeless Boulevard said...

My sister is currently being treated for a recurrence of her breast cancer which she had 7 years ago and was in remission for almost 5 years till late November of 2006. She is currently being treated at the MD Anderson Cancer Center here in Houston, Texas. They have a patient advocacy system here called Patient Access Services to which a patient or relatives can call a direct number to address various issues like disservice, violation of patient rights, insensitivity, or as simple as not being called on time or being made to wait longer unnecessarily for an appointment. Like any institution, it recognizes that it is not perfect, thus I would assume, created this channel among them.

Your cause is a valid and important one. I've read about it in the online newspapers. You are to be admired for your courage and principle. It is because of individuals like you that make life for other better. It promotes evolution and change. Which should be aimed for by everyone and everywhere.

Thank you and I am honored to have "met" you even just in these blogs.

I hope your good fight and sincere concern is viewed for its higher purpose---the constant aim for health practitioners and intitutions towards a better and better patient care, one of respect, wisdom and love for all of life and its accounts.

Most Sincerely,
www.timelessboulevard.blogspot.com
www.ksdescartin.wordpress.com