Donación protegida
I am reaching out in hopes of giving some financial assistance to my relatives in the Philippines who are affected by Covid. Near and far, we are going through immeasurable pain due to recent tragic events in our tight knit family. We lost three of our family members within 44 days; two on the same day. These tragedies are compounded by the lockdowns. My relatives in Coron have lodges that have been significantly impacted due to not being able to host tourists. All funds raised will be given to our family members that have been affected by Covid, and some portion will be allocated to the workers they employed who are still out of jobs. Every little bit counts.
My mom is one of ten siblings and they are all very close despite their age gaps and living in two different continents. My mom and dad immigrated to the US when I was five and my aunts and uncles filled the roles of my parents and my cousins became my and my brother’s siblings. They took care of us for eight years until my brother and I were able to reunite with our parents. They helped raise who I am today and I am forever grateful to them.
On April 7th, my Auntie Letty passed away of Covid. Looking back, I think my love for shoes and accessories probably came from her because she was always dressed up, even if just staying home. At 83 years young, she was still full of life. I cry every time I think about how she had to spend her last few days in a wheel chair under a tent outside a hospital before being admitted because Covid had overrun Manila hospitals. It was unfortunate that I was not able to come to her surprise 80th birthday because we had to cancel our trip last minute due to my pregnancy. I know she was looking forward to meeting Alex and it is such a loss that he won’t have that opportunity. I’d like to think that she is now with her husband dancing all night long. She is survived by her only son and three grandkids.
Her death was, and is, still so raw when we received two more tragic news on May 21st. Half of our family lives in Coron, Palawan, where my mom grew up. Coron recently had a surge of Covid cases and a lot of our relatives have tested positive. We are a tight knit family and in Coron, each of our family branch live under one roof so infection rates spread like wildfires. Unfortunately, one cousin and two uncles were admitted to the hospital. Early Friday morning (US time), I woke up to good news: my Uncle Boy was finally able to come home! But then later in the afternoon, my cousin, Kuya Jimboy, passed away while in the ICU. Two hours later, my Uncle Ben (his father) passed away of cardiac arrest when he found out that his only son had passed while in the same hospital but in a different ward. I cannot begin to imagine getting these phone calls, let alone within hours of one another.
Kuya Jimboy was only 46. He was larger than life. He rarely smiled for pictures but he loved to tell jokes. At six feet tall, you would think that he was a super tough guy but in reality, he was a soft cuddly teddy bear. He was also very generous. I remember the last time I was able to visit during a busy holiday season, he insisted that we took his kayaks out free of charge. He leaves a wife, three kids and one granddaughter.
Uncle Ben was soft spoken and one of the gentlest person I know. He was an elementary school teacher and was loved by his students. He was quiet and reserved but you knew he loved you very much. We have a huge family reunion every five years and each time we say our goodbyes, he was the first to cry. He will be missed by his wife, three kids and ten grandkids/great grandkids.
Their lives will never be replaced and they will forever be missed. I can only hope that they are all in a better place where there is no more suffering and watching over our Palanca clan.
Thank you so much for all of your support, prayers and donations. Our family truly appreciates it as some of them are still struggling in isolation due to Covid.
With all my love,
Jikki (Jacqueline)
P.S. Once travel to Coron is safe, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like to visit. It is a truly remarkable place and my family will help you have an unforgettable vacation.
My mom is one of ten siblings and they are all very close despite their age gaps and living in two different continents. My mom and dad immigrated to the US when I was five and my aunts and uncles filled the roles of my parents and my cousins became my and my brother’s siblings. They took care of us for eight years until my brother and I were able to reunite with our parents. They helped raise who I am today and I am forever grateful to them.
On April 7th, my Auntie Letty passed away of Covid. Looking back, I think my love for shoes and accessories probably came from her because she was always dressed up, even if just staying home. At 83 years young, she was still full of life. I cry every time I think about how she had to spend her last few days in a wheel chair under a tent outside a hospital before being admitted because Covid had overrun Manila hospitals. It was unfortunate that I was not able to come to her surprise 80th birthday because we had to cancel our trip last minute due to my pregnancy. I know she was looking forward to meeting Alex and it is such a loss that he won’t have that opportunity. I’d like to think that she is now with her husband dancing all night long. She is survived by her only son and three grandkids.
Her death was, and is, still so raw when we received two more tragic news on May 21st. Half of our family lives in Coron, Palawan, where my mom grew up. Coron recently had a surge of Covid cases and a lot of our relatives have tested positive. We are a tight knit family and in Coron, each of our family branch live under one roof so infection rates spread like wildfires. Unfortunately, one cousin and two uncles were admitted to the hospital. Early Friday morning (US time), I woke up to good news: my Uncle Boy was finally able to come home! But then later in the afternoon, my cousin, Kuya Jimboy, passed away while in the ICU. Two hours later, my Uncle Ben (his father) passed away of cardiac arrest when he found out that his only son had passed while in the same hospital but in a different ward. I cannot begin to imagine getting these phone calls, let alone within hours of one another.
Kuya Jimboy was only 46. He was larger than life. He rarely smiled for pictures but he loved to tell jokes. At six feet tall, you would think that he was a super tough guy but in reality, he was a soft cuddly teddy bear. He was also very generous. I remember the last time I was able to visit during a busy holiday season, he insisted that we took his kayaks out free of charge. He leaves a wife, three kids and one granddaughter.
Uncle Ben was soft spoken and one of the gentlest person I know. He was an elementary school teacher and was loved by his students. He was quiet and reserved but you knew he loved you very much. We have a huge family reunion every five years and each time we say our goodbyes, he was the first to cry. He will be missed by his wife, three kids and ten grandkids/great grandkids.
Their lives will never be replaced and they will forever be missed. I can only hope that they are all in a better place where there is no more suffering and watching over our Palanca clan.
Thank you so much for all of your support, prayers and donations. Our family truly appreciates it as some of them are still struggling in isolation due to Covid.
With all my love,
Jikki (Jacqueline)
P.S. Once travel to Coron is safe, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like to visit. It is a truly remarkable place and my family will help you have an unforgettable vacation.
Organizador
JACQUELINE RICCIOTTI
Organizador
Hawthorne, CA