Adonai's Brings Traditional May Festival to Children with Cancer
MANILA — Pediatric cancer patients celebrated a traditional Flores de Mayo festival inside the Mary Johnston Hospital last May 9. Nancy Caluya-Nicolas, Executive Director of Adonai's Mercy House (AMH), said the initiative was designed to provide normalcy to children undergoing intensive medical treatments.
The event, which featured the traditional Santacruzan procession, was organized for the young cancer warriors of AMH, a nonprofit organization supporting pediatric oncology patients. We Care and Share PH, a Taguig City-based volunteer organization that sponsored the event, provided material gifts to the families, including food staples, books, toys and clothing.
The group's volunteers led the recreational activities for the patients. Ms. Nicolas stated that the initiative deliberately brought the cultural celebration directly to the hospital environment because prolonged treatment cycles frequently isolate these patients from standard childhood experiences and community festivals.
The program also addressed the psychological toll on primary caregivers. The patients participated in a ceremony recognizing their mothers, followed by games and dancing by dance instructor Omar Aguilar to address caregiver burnout. According to lead volunteer Cessna Bañares, We Care and Share PH has operated community outreach programs for eight years.
The organization was founded by 10 members of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Taguig City. The partnership with AMH was established after co-founders Arnel and Elvie Daliva identified the hospital's pediatric oncology needs through an online outreach assessment.
