January 10, 2020
Greetings of peace and goodness that come from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Sabrina and TAU Onlus officers,
We, the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart (FMSC) here in the Philippines, community of Quezon City, have met Bonifacio Cañete Jr. during the family visit of one of the sisters. The encounter happened when the sister visited some of the sick brothers and sisters in the area.
Name of a child: Bonifacio Cañete Jr.
Age: 13 years old
Parents: Bonifacio Cañete Sr. and Leila Urbano-Cañete
Address: Barangay Vito, Sagay City, Negros Occidental
Bonifacio Cañete Jr. is the youngest son of Bonifacio Cañete Sr. and Leila Urbano-Cañete. He is thirteen (13) years old. They are four (4) siblings in the family. His father is a farmer and plows the soil through the help of the carabao. Because of the immediate need for the first operation of the child, the carabao was sold. His mother is a house wife and sometimes she is selling food to their neighbors.
Bonifacio Jr. reached his elementary education until grade 5. He stop going to school because he is ashamed of his situation and of which sometimes he has a bad smell or he stinks of shit.
Bonifacio Cañete Jr. in his very young age encountered the difficulty to use his anus for excretion. Medical checkups were made and a temporary solution to the problem was the placement of colostomy. There is something that obstruct to his anus. To protect the colostomy, the family put a jar cover with hole as its base and a transparent plastic so that it will be safe as he is moving throughout the day.
It took time to remove the hard thing blocking to his anus because they were not reporting to the doctor as scheduled due to lack of financial means. It requires three (3) hours travel by bus from their house to the hospital in the city.
Last December 2019, his x-ray showed a clear result indicating that the one blocking was already removed. They are waiting for the doctor to tell as to when he will be operated for the closure of his colostomy. Of all the possibilities, maybe it will be scheduled any of the dates this month of January 2020.
In your goodness and generosity, we appeal for your help to his situation, so that he can continue to study and pursue his dreams. We believe that your assistance is of great count as it allows him to experience normal life. Thank you and God bless you all. May God have pity on us and bless us. May he let his face shine upon us and shows His face to us and give us peace.
In Christ,
Sr. Teresita and community
FMSC Quezon City, Philippines
July 23, 2021
Dearest Sabrina,
Peace and goodness. How are you? We hope that you and your loved ones are fine. It has been quiete long months until now that we are having this update of our mission here.
About BONIFACIO –
We were thinking of his surgical operation might finally happen last June 2021, for at last there were several actions took place. Unfortunately, it did not come about.
It was June 21, 2021 when they were able to get inside the hospital for Bonifacio’s check up, after a long waiting due to the pandemic. The doctor has requested for a distal colostogram, a special x-ray that creates detailed image of where exactly the end of rectum is. There were other prescriptions given by the doctor to do and all were complied. However, the procedure cannot be done because Bonifacio has eaten something at that moment. To do it the stomach must be empty. Thus, they were advised to go back on June 23.
For their returned on June 23, 2021, Bonifacio was brought into the laboratory room (properly dressed with a laboratory gown) for the distal colostogram. To have its result, they need to go back for another time.
The family went again on June 30, 2021 to the hospital. They got the result of the distal colostogram. After the doctor has seen the result, he told: “We would have the same arrangement again: you just wait a call from us because at this time there is no slot yet to schedule the surgical operation of Bonifacio and anyway his situation is not an emergency.” When the family re-told these things to us, sadness could be felt.
What we need to do? We have to respect what the doctor told, as he has evaluated on Bonifacio’s situation. We have to patiently and patiently wait for its proper time. We advised them just to pass the month of July. Then, by August they will start to inquire again.
For your long waiting, we understand of your excitement and desire to hear from us about the surgical operation of Bonifacio. As we are re-telling to you everything, we felt our sadness also. However, our hope is in God. He will surely give the proper time for it. Please accept our apologies for the very slow movements for the situation of Bonifacio.
We thank you for your long patience of waiting to the situation.
Fraternally,
Sr. Teresita and community
September 29, 2021
Dearest Sabrina,
We are greeting you Peace and Goodness; also to all your loved ones and to all your colleagues working at MISSIONE TAU Onlus.
It has been long time since you there and we here are following up the health situation of Bonifacio. We are sad to inform that until now we cannot yet have the schedule date of his surgical operation. As we knew how far the hospital from the family of Bonifacio, they have decided to momentarily go back to their place. Bonifacio was enrolled to an online and module mode of schooling. He is now in grade 6 elementary. We are giving him food allowances. The last time he got it, he mentioned to buy also the cleaning necessities for his wounds.
The family is planning by next month to ask some help from our local government to facilitate the schedule of his surgical operation because several times they have attempted to approach the hospital but seemingly no accommodation is availed. Since his hospital is the only one having the complete service for his case, thus, better to get connected with local government officials at this point. We are sending also his photo here, showing the serene face of Bonifacio as he received his allowance. The family of Bonifacio is expressing their gratitude for supporting him to his studies as of now.
Thank you very much. Again we humbly beg your patience to the situation of Bonifacio. We put our trust in God that in His time Bonifacio’s surgical operation will be realized.
With so much gratitude and in prayer,
Sr. Teresita and Quezon City community
