Help our disabled brother & father
Donation protected
6/6/2017:
In Memory of Junjun...
6/5/2017:
Hello everybody,
We, the Serrano Family, would like to thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, flowers and support during the funeral services, wake and burial, for our beloved brother, Jose Ma. N. Serrano III.
The funeral ceremony was made beautiful by your presence – be it physically, in spirit or in thoughts – and the occasion was bitter sweet, as we saw so many relatives and friends, some of whom we had not seen for years, decades even. And there was closure. Junjun is no longer suffering and, as the priest had said, a person like Junjun who was afflicted with cerebral palsy his entire life, will go straight into Heaven as he is without sin. And as our dear Papa and our eldest brother had stated, we all now have a new guardian angel watching over us and a patron in Heaven who can intercede for us. Feel free to pray and seek Junjun’s intercession as he knows the help and support you’ve given and he is now willing to return the favour and speak on all our behalf to our Lord, Jesus Christ, in Heaven.
God bless and thank you,
from the entire Serrano family
P.S. If you would like to extend some financial assistance, this GFM site is still open.
5/21/2017:
It is with deep sadness that we would like to announce that after a protracted battle with infection and pneumonia, of being in and out of the hospital that began in August of last year, our beloved brother, Jose Ma. N. Serrano III, or Junjun as we lovingly call him, had passed away last night at 11:45 pm, 21 May 2017 (Manila, Philippines time).
Junjun has always brought smiles into our hearts and his smile has always lifted our spirits. Today, it is our loving God, who has lifted Junjun up into His Kingdom in Heaven. Please join our family in prayers for the soul of Junjun, that he may rest in peace and enjoy his new life in Heaven.
To family and friends who would like to say their goodbyes to Junjun, the wake will be held at Lumbang Chapel, La Funeraria Paz inside Manila Memorial Park, Dr. A. Santos Ave., Sucat, Parañaque City, Philippines, from today and the funeral will be held on Saturday morning, 27 May 2017.
In memory of Junjun; in celebration of Junjun’s entry into the Kingdom of God in Heaven; in dedication to all those with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities; and in recognition of the care given by their family and friends; we would like to request that you listen to the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye4cELYLzJM&feature=youtu.be> (original version of the song by the Hollies <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYzfTdIZoP0&sns=fb>). This song has given us tremendous comfort in caring for our brother.
5/14/2017:
It's Mother's Day.... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all Moms, especially to Mama. Continue to pray and watch over her favorite son Junjun who is now back in the DLSUMC hospital.
Initial findings - through urinalysis, infection reached to 90-100hpf. No results yet on x-ray due to the yellow-green phlegm. And blood culture will take 5 days for result.
We can no longer afford ICU, but we are waiting for a room as we are 5th in-line waiting.
The last hospitalization totalled to about P1.8M (about $38K), that up-to-date we are still paying for. And now Junjun is back in the hospital.
Below is latest photo of Junjun. Attach picture of Junjun. He is emaciated as he is still unable to eat solid food.
Your prayers and monetary support are again needed. Thank you so much in advance! God bless you! "Little things mean a lot!"
4/24/2017:
Thanks for all your support & prayers, our brother Junjun, though frail and weak, has reached the age of 59. As you can view in photo, he's still being fed via NGT, but otherwise he's better and away from imminent danger. Praise God!
1/18/2017:
Happy New Year everybody! We hope and pray that this new year will bring you all lots of blessings and good cheer!
Before anything else, we would like to thank you all for your prayers and generous donations and most especially your heartfelt support and understanding of our family situation.
Over the past couple of weeks, Jun-jun has shown marked improvement. A home visit by a doctor friend confirmed that Jun-jun’s health has progressed very well. The country air and home care was truly beneficial to his health. Similarly, Papa has also improved a lot. He is now able to walk short distances with the help of a walking frame. The wounds on his leg has almost disappeared.
However, even with their improvement in health, both Jun-jun and Papa still require continued medication and health care. As such, although they are out of the hospital, the medical bills continue to pile up. Jun-jun requires daily oxygen, regular medication, weekly visits by the nurse, and monthly laboratory tests and appointments with the doctor [Jun-jun's monthly test and doctor appointment alone costs P7800 ($162)]. Similarly, Papa requires daily medication and monthly laboratory tests and appointments with the doctor.
And so, we still need your continued support and prayers. Any assistance you can provide will be of great help. We would also very much appreciate your endorsement of the GoFundMe campaign.
Attached are the resized photos: a photo of my brother at home, a photo of my father with a smile on his face, and a photo of the children singing a Christmas carol for my brother.
God bless you all and a Happy New Year, too!
Thank you,
***************************************************
Latest update: 12/19/2016
Praise God! After 9 weeks in the hospital; our brother was finally discharged over the weekend and brought home just in time for Christmas.
Our brother will still need continued special home care and medications with regular visits by the nurse but the most important thing is he is home with our dad for Christmas.
Our father; is happy, yet with his age, his wound healing is very slow as he does not have enough strength to exercise his feet on a regular basis and has poor circulation.
On behalf of the Serrano family, we would like to thank you all for your prayers and supporting our GoFundMe campaign.
We still need some financial help as the hospital bill went well over P1.2 million pesos ($25K); and is not fully paid; and the estimate for a 6-month medical supplies is about P200K – P300K ($4K - $6.5K) more.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Thank you and God bless you all,
***************************************************
Our brother, Jose Ma. N. Serrano III, or Junjun as we lovingly call him, is mentally disabled as he was born with cerebral palsy. He is 58 years old but has the mental capacity of an infant. He could neither speak nor communicate fully. The only way he is able to convey his feelings is through grunts (when we try to talk with him), moans (when he is in pain or discomfort), tears (when he is sad or suffering) and smiles (when he is happy to see us). Otherwise, there is no way for us to know what is going on.
This past August, we had to bring him to the hospital as he could not swallow nor pass food through. After being examined by doctors and multiple tests, it was only then that we were informed that he may have had suffered a minor stroke. This has caused him to lose control of his muscles in the throat allowing food and/or liquid to get into his lungs. This has led to pneumonia. He also lost control of his urinary tract causing him to get an infection. He stayed in the hospital for three weeks and was discharged with feeding tubes through his throat and a catheter to help him urinate. After a couple of weeks of being cared for at home, we felt that his condition was not improving.
Last October 23rd, he was gasping for air and could hardly breathe. And so, we rushed him back to the hospital for further treatments. The doctors said that he is still suffering from pneumonia and some ulceration and internal bleeding, probably because of the tubes down his throat. To this day, Junjun is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of De La Salle Medical Center in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines, as he is still connected to the artificial respirator and undergoing antibiotics treatment.
Due to his condition, we have been spending a lot for his medication, specialist care and hospitalization. October 26, the hospital bills were up to PhP242,000 (US$5,360).
To date, November 27, the hospital bills are now up to PhP1,103,226 (US$23,000) and climbing. That does not include the hundred thousand pesos we had already spent during his first stay, plus the things we need to purchase to be able to bring our brother Junjun home (egg crate mattress, oxygen tank and refill, medical supplies, etc.)
Other than our brother Junjun’s situation, our loving father, Jose Ma. F. Serrano Jr. (Papa) was also recently discharged from the hospital from edema on his right foot, which ended up needing debridement. He is currently under medication that costs PhP6,000 a month (US$130/month).
The medical bills are just piling up and we are having difficulty catching up with the payments.
We, therefore, out of necessity, decided to seek help through this GoFundMe campaign. Any amount that you could donate for the care of our brother and father, would be much appreciated.
We would also appreciate it if you could please pass this onto your family and friends.
God-willing, after all expenses paid and there is left over donation, this amount will be given to a foundation in the Philippines who specializes in helping people who suffer from cerebral palsy.
God Bless & thank you in advance!
"LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT!"
Here is a picture of our brother Junjun at the DLSUMC hospital ICU:
Here is a picture of our Papa and Junjun, after his first visit to the hospital. You will note that our Papa still has his leg bandage as he is still recovering from the debridement:
And here is a picture of our Papa and brother Junjun during happier times:
Again, thank you in advance!
In Memory of Junjun...
6/5/2017:
Hello everybody,
We, the Serrano Family, would like to thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, flowers and support during the funeral services, wake and burial, for our beloved brother, Jose Ma. N. Serrano III.
The funeral ceremony was made beautiful by your presence – be it physically, in spirit or in thoughts – and the occasion was bitter sweet, as we saw so many relatives and friends, some of whom we had not seen for years, decades even. And there was closure. Junjun is no longer suffering and, as the priest had said, a person like Junjun who was afflicted with cerebral palsy his entire life, will go straight into Heaven as he is without sin. And as our dear Papa and our eldest brother had stated, we all now have a new guardian angel watching over us and a patron in Heaven who can intercede for us. Feel free to pray and seek Junjun’s intercession as he knows the help and support you’ve given and he is now willing to return the favour and speak on all our behalf to our Lord, Jesus Christ, in Heaven.
God bless and thank you,
from the entire Serrano family
P.S. If you would like to extend some financial assistance, this GFM site is still open.
5/21/2017:
It is with deep sadness that we would like to announce that after a protracted battle with infection and pneumonia, of being in and out of the hospital that began in August of last year, our beloved brother, Jose Ma. N. Serrano III, or Junjun as we lovingly call him, had passed away last night at 11:45 pm, 21 May 2017 (Manila, Philippines time).
Junjun has always brought smiles into our hearts and his smile has always lifted our spirits. Today, it is our loving God, who has lifted Junjun up into His Kingdom in Heaven. Please join our family in prayers for the soul of Junjun, that he may rest in peace and enjoy his new life in Heaven.
To family and friends who would like to say their goodbyes to Junjun, the wake will be held at Lumbang Chapel, La Funeraria Paz inside Manila Memorial Park, Dr. A. Santos Ave., Sucat, Parañaque City, Philippines, from today and the funeral will be held on Saturday morning, 27 May 2017.
In memory of Junjun; in celebration of Junjun’s entry into the Kingdom of God in Heaven; in dedication to all those with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities; and in recognition of the care given by their family and friends; we would like to request that you listen to the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye4cELYLzJM&feature=youtu.be> (original version of the song by the Hollies <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYzfTdIZoP0&sns=fb>). This song has given us tremendous comfort in caring for our brother.
5/14/2017:
It's Mother's Day.... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all Moms, especially to Mama. Continue to pray and watch over her favorite son Junjun who is now back in the DLSUMC hospital.
Initial findings - through urinalysis, infection reached to 90-100hpf. No results yet on x-ray due to the yellow-green phlegm. And blood culture will take 5 days for result.
We can no longer afford ICU, but we are waiting for a room as we are 5th in-line waiting.
The last hospitalization totalled to about P1.8M (about $38K), that up-to-date we are still paying for. And now Junjun is back in the hospital.
Below is latest photo of Junjun. Attach picture of Junjun. He is emaciated as he is still unable to eat solid food.
Your prayers and monetary support are again needed. Thank you so much in advance! God bless you! "Little things mean a lot!"
4/24/2017:
Thanks for all your support & prayers, our brother Junjun, though frail and weak, has reached the age of 59. As you can view in photo, he's still being fed via NGT, but otherwise he's better and away from imminent danger. Praise God!
1/18/2017:
Happy New Year everybody! We hope and pray that this new year will bring you all lots of blessings and good cheer!
Before anything else, we would like to thank you all for your prayers and generous donations and most especially your heartfelt support and understanding of our family situation.
Over the past couple of weeks, Jun-jun has shown marked improvement. A home visit by a doctor friend confirmed that Jun-jun’s health has progressed very well. The country air and home care was truly beneficial to his health. Similarly, Papa has also improved a lot. He is now able to walk short distances with the help of a walking frame. The wounds on his leg has almost disappeared.
However, even with their improvement in health, both Jun-jun and Papa still require continued medication and health care. As such, although they are out of the hospital, the medical bills continue to pile up. Jun-jun requires daily oxygen, regular medication, weekly visits by the nurse, and monthly laboratory tests and appointments with the doctor [Jun-jun's monthly test and doctor appointment alone costs P7800 ($162)]. Similarly, Papa requires daily medication and monthly laboratory tests and appointments with the doctor.
And so, we still need your continued support and prayers. Any assistance you can provide will be of great help. We would also very much appreciate your endorsement of the GoFundMe campaign.
Attached are the resized photos: a photo of my brother at home, a photo of my father with a smile on his face, and a photo of the children singing a Christmas carol for my brother.
God bless you all and a Happy New Year, too!
Thank you,
***************************************************
Latest update: 12/19/2016
Praise God! After 9 weeks in the hospital; our brother was finally discharged over the weekend and brought home just in time for Christmas.
Our brother will still need continued special home care and medications with regular visits by the nurse but the most important thing is he is home with our dad for Christmas.
Our father; is happy, yet with his age, his wound healing is very slow as he does not have enough strength to exercise his feet on a regular basis and has poor circulation.
On behalf of the Serrano family, we would like to thank you all for your prayers and supporting our GoFundMe campaign.
We still need some financial help as the hospital bill went well over P1.2 million pesos ($25K); and is not fully paid; and the estimate for a 6-month medical supplies is about P200K – P300K ($4K - $6.5K) more.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Thank you and God bless you all,
***************************************************
Our brother, Jose Ma. N. Serrano III, or Junjun as we lovingly call him, is mentally disabled as he was born with cerebral palsy. He is 58 years old but has the mental capacity of an infant. He could neither speak nor communicate fully. The only way he is able to convey his feelings is through grunts (when we try to talk with him), moans (when he is in pain or discomfort), tears (when he is sad or suffering) and smiles (when he is happy to see us). Otherwise, there is no way for us to know what is going on.
This past August, we had to bring him to the hospital as he could not swallow nor pass food through. After being examined by doctors and multiple tests, it was only then that we were informed that he may have had suffered a minor stroke. This has caused him to lose control of his muscles in the throat allowing food and/or liquid to get into his lungs. This has led to pneumonia. He also lost control of his urinary tract causing him to get an infection. He stayed in the hospital for three weeks and was discharged with feeding tubes through his throat and a catheter to help him urinate. After a couple of weeks of being cared for at home, we felt that his condition was not improving.
Last October 23rd, he was gasping for air and could hardly breathe. And so, we rushed him back to the hospital for further treatments. The doctors said that he is still suffering from pneumonia and some ulceration and internal bleeding, probably because of the tubes down his throat. To this day, Junjun is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of De La Salle Medical Center in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines, as he is still connected to the artificial respirator and undergoing antibiotics treatment.
Due to his condition, we have been spending a lot for his medication, specialist care and hospitalization. October 26, the hospital bills were up to PhP242,000 (US$5,360).
To date, November 27, the hospital bills are now up to PhP1,103,226 (US$23,000) and climbing. That does not include the hundred thousand pesos we had already spent during his first stay, plus the things we need to purchase to be able to bring our brother Junjun home (egg crate mattress, oxygen tank and refill, medical supplies, etc.)
Other than our brother Junjun’s situation, our loving father, Jose Ma. F. Serrano Jr. (Papa) was also recently discharged from the hospital from edema on his right foot, which ended up needing debridement. He is currently under medication that costs PhP6,000 a month (US$130/month).
The medical bills are just piling up and we are having difficulty catching up with the payments.
We, therefore, out of necessity, decided to seek help through this GoFundMe campaign. Any amount that you could donate for the care of our brother and father, would be much appreciated.
We would also appreciate it if you could please pass this onto your family and friends.
God-willing, after all expenses paid and there is left over donation, this amount will be given to a foundation in the Philippines who specializes in helping people who suffer from cerebral palsy.
God Bless & thank you in advance!
"LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT!"
Here is a picture of our brother Junjun at the DLSUMC hospital ICU:
Here is a picture of our Papa and Junjun, after his first visit to the hospital. You will note that our Papa still has his leg bandage as he is still recovering from the debridement:
And here is a picture of our Papa and brother Junjun during happier times:
Again, thank you in advance!
Organizer
Helen Serrano-Spina
Organizer
Bedford Hills, NY