Fernando Santiago Cruz ang pangalan ng tatay ko. Pumayapa po sya ng July 21, 2021. Taga Barangka, Marikina City po kami dati sa Philippines at West Covina, CA po kami nakatira for most of our lives. Sa mga hindi po nakakakilala sa akin or sa tatay ko, galing po kami sa hirap ng buhay. Naaalala ko dati sa pinas, nag-dedeliver ng mga tsinelas at gamit ang tatay ko at kasama nya po ako, mga 1992-1995 po yan. Ang pinaka masayang naaalala ko nuon, sa Zambales po kami nag-deliver at sobrang ganda ng paligid. Beautiful sunset, beautiful people. 

Naging Taxi driver din ang tatay ko sa pilipinas. Kapag umuuwi sya galing sa trabaho, palagi nya po kami pinapasyal sa Barangka Riverbanks, ang ganda ng paligid doon. The most memorial part is that he would buy my mom, my other siblings and myself bulilit burgers and we would watch the night sky and stars together. When we migrated to the U.S. in 2000, di rin Malaki sweldo ng tatay at nanay ko. Nakitira lang din po kami sa lola ko para makapag-ipon ng konting pera. 

Halos sabay po pumanaw ang aking magulang. Nanay ko pumanaw sya dahil sa COVID-19 last Christmas. Matagal din po syang na-hospital at hindi nya kinaya yung sakit na naramdaman nya. Tatay ko po pumanaw ng July 21, 2021. Marami na rin syang naramdaman sakit.

He survived it all. He survived high blood pressure. He survived being almost comatose from high blood sugar levels of 500+. He survived a heart attack in 2016-2017 when I had lived with them. I remember that night that he kept having chest pain and night sweats and short of breath. I knew he was having some type of TIA or heart attack. When I brought him to the hospital, may signs and symptoms na sya ng heart attack. He survived it. He survived racism and ageism at his work place. He survived COVID-19 in 2020. He survived sepsis, gangrene and multiple surgeries in 2021. Ang pinaka-malungkot na naramdaman nya yung pumanaw nanay ko. Have you ever heard of love birds? When one dies, the other gives up living. Matagal silang kasal, almost 50 years na sila. Nakakalungkot isipin kase magkasunod pa silang pumayapa at Nawala sa buhay naming pamilya.

Kaya kakapalan ko na po mukha ko. Kahit ano po pwede n’yong itulong, pwede po kayo mag-abuloy at mag donate sa GoFundMe ng tatay ko. Mahirap din po kase sa damdamin (at sa finances) na halos sabay po silang nawala.

God bless all at pasensya na po sa baluktot kong Tagalog.


The Cruz Family



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English: 
Hi, my name is Dianne Cruz and I am fundraising for my father, Fernando Santiago Cruz.

My father was born on March 26, 1953 and passed on the evening of July 21, 2021. He immigrated from the Philippines to United States in 1999 to ensure our family would have a better life. My father worked as a Security Officer for over 10 years, paving the way to support and make sure that all 9 of his children made it to the United States.

He was full of love and did not ask for anything in return, but always talked about how happy and proud he is of his children. He was always smiling, full of laughter, and was supportive in anything - it didn't matter, what his children did, he'd always accept us for who we were.

My father was always a fighter and fought through ESRD, diabetes, and survived a stoke in 2017. But unfortunately, when my mother Letecia recently passed on Christmas Day, he took it the hardest. My once happy and positive father would hide his depression and his sickness from our family until it got worse. End of May, my father was admitted to the hospital to receive treatment and fought through several life-threatening surgeries. After fighting long battles, my father got tired and wanted to rest. He passed on the evening of July 21, which was his youngest son, Ronald's birthday.

The fundraiser is to support the funeral expenses of my father which will be held on September 14-15, 2021. Any amount is appreciated. Venmo and Zelle is also accepted. Please reach out to me if needed.

I am the youngest daughter of Fernando Cruz and I am grateful to have him as my father, who treated me like a princess and only showed me love and support. He was not only a father, but a brother, a friend, and a grandfather with the brightest smile. Thank you for everything, Papa, fly high and rest in paradise with Mama. We all love you, mahal na mahal ka namin.

God bless