Please Come Home

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I've been pondering about how to write about New Year 2009. With the number of resolutions and whatnots going around on the Internet, especially on blogs and other social networking sites, I didn't want to copy but at the same time, I wanted to write about something meaningful, something important to me and to you.

So here it goes.

Let me tell you a story:

My friend Anabel Bosch was taken to the Makati Medical Hospital late afternoon on 1 January 2009, unconscious, and was diagnosed with a massive aneurysm in her brain, rendering her in a vegetable state. Doctors had to operate on her immediately, but there's only a 20% chance of survival from the kind of aneurysm she has, and an even slimmer chance of regaining all her functions.

Anabel is an artist, a poet of the highest caliber, a mother to a 12-year-old young lady who is both bane and boon of her existence, a wise woman, a friend. I have never known anyone who has the same kind of spirit and strength that she has. I have admired her ever since I met her and read her cards, and I have continued to admire her in her stories and in the stories of others. I am sure there are more people who can tell you how wonderful she is and how articulate and ballsy and amazing this woman is, and I would like to add my little voice to that.

As of this writing, Anabel has around six hours of surgery left (she entered the OR around early evening, maybe seven or eight o'clock). Right now, what she needs most are your prayers, but if you want to do something concrete, you can donate blood at the Makati Medical Center, where she is currently registered, or you can get in touch with Regman Hernandez at 0917-5215325 or Ginny Mata at 0917-5296133 to inquire how you can help Anabel.

Please, please come home to us, Bel.

(Photo courtesy of http://huzafan.multiply.com from the Romancing Venus performance at Instituto Cervantes, 2007)