Norm Writes
  • Home
  • Who in the World
  • Blog
  • Postcards
  • Why I write

A special 'thank you' from Liza Mae

3/29/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Last week, a friend of mine from Germany who’s living in the Philippines, Denise, told me about a girl little named Liza Mae.
 
Liza Mae is an adorable, spirited, and upbeat little 10-year old girl here in Cebu in the Philippines who has a terrible huge tumor growing on her face. The cancer started on her nose in November and has grown so large that it’s practically covering her entire face, except for one eye.
 
Unfortunately, her single mother is poor and didn't even have money to admit her to the hospital. Luckily, a wonderful local nonprofit called Everlasting Hope was doing their best to find help for Liza Mae. I’d originally come across Everlasting Hope through Denise in December, when I volunteered to dress as Santa Claus for the children’s Christmas party.
 
So after hearing more, I set offered to donate some of my own money to help cover Liza Mae’s first round of care and treatment.
 
Their initial estimate was that it would take about $1,000 USD to get her into the hospital immediately and for the medicines and procedures she needs to try and save her life.

Picture
​That’s a big number, so I also sent an email about Liza Mae to a couple friends and my mother, and then posted an edited photo of her on Facebook. (Her mother initially didn’t want photos of her tumor on the Internet, but then acquiesced once she understood we were trying to help. But I covered her tumor in the photo, anyways.) 
 
To my amazement, not only did we raise the $1,000 USD in less than 48 hours, but we blew past that goal, reaching more than $1,500 as I write this.
 
I was floored by the caring and generosity of people a world away from Liza Mae, who would never meet her - and some who had never even met me! Someone gave $250 in one donation; $50, several gave $20.

​Local Filipinos even seemed to be inspired by her story, donating what they could, as many are poor, themselves, and just trying to survive. One Filipina friend donated $30 USD; her grocery money for the week, while another gave just 20 cents but with a very loving note explaining it was all that she had.

Another good Filipina friend of mine, Charlot, pledged her entire week’s salary for Liza Mae. Charlot is a single mother working the night shift at a hotel to make ends meet for her two children, and to donate ¼ of her own threadbare monthly salary was an act of compassion like I’ve never witnessed before.

​
​“Tell her to be strong; that someone is praying for her from far away; tell her to hold on tight and fight; that she needs to keep her hopes up. No matter what,” wrote Charlot in a message to me.
 
“Tell to the mother that she needs to be strong for her child no matter how painful it is seeing her daughter in that situation. Tell her God is with us. Our prayers are for them.”
 
I was literally reduced to tears as the donations and well wishes for Liza Mae kept coming in.
 
Aware that the funds were confirmed, Everlasting Hope wasted no time arranging doctors appointments for Liza Mae, as even a few more days delay may have cost her life. I met with Leah from the nonprofit and happily gave her the funds: 50 crisp blue 1,000 Pesos bills, or $1,000 USD – YOUR donations.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Of course they presented me with a receipt and promised to provide hospital bills and a spreadsheet of expenses so that we know the money goes to the right place. Like I said, I’ve worked with Everlasting Hope before, as has Denise, and so I trust them completely but that kind of accountability is always important with philanthropy – especially in the Philippines.
 
Yesterday afternoon, I received a message from Everlasting Hope that they’d indeed gotten Liza Mae into the doctors.
 
She’s now admitted into the hospital and getting a much-needed blood transfusion that can save her life (she has the less-common type O+ blood). Liza Mae and her mother wanted to express their warmest gratitude to all of you, so with the help of Everlasting Hope, they created this beautiful sign and sent this photo from the hospital to share.
 
I have already pledged the second round of donations for Liza Mae. While there is a long road to eradicate the tumor and treat the cancer, you’ve given Liza Mae and her mother something much more valuable than money – hope – thanks to the love and generosity of strangers, near and far.

- Norm  :-)

***
 
If you’d like to help Liza Mae, my PayPal is hi@NormSchriever.com for donations. Even if you have only spare change to donate it would be great - any amount helps.
 
You can also donate directly to Everlasting Hope or find out more about them at everlastinghope.org or on their Facebook page.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed


      Receive a digital postcard from Norm every month:

    Yes, I want a postcard!

    Don't miss Norm's new book,
    The Queens of Dragon Town!

    See More

    Norm Schriever

    Norm Schriever is a best-selling author, expat, cultural mad scientist, and enemy of the comfort zone. He travels the globe, telling the stories of the people he finds, and hopes to make the world a little bit better place with his words.   

    Norm is a professional blogger, digital marketer for smart brands around the world,  and writes for the Huffington Post, Hotels.com, and others.

    Check out South of Normal his Amazon.com best-selling book about life as an expat in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

    Cambodia's School of Hope explores education and empowerment in impoverished Cambodia, with 100% of sales going to that school.

    The Book Marketing Bible provides 99 essential strategies for authors and marketers.

    Pushups in the Prayer Room, is a wild, irreverent memoir about a year backpacking around the world.  

    Follow Norm on Twitter @NormSchriever or email any time to say hi!

    Categories

    All
    Advice For Writers
    Amazon
    American Exceptionalism
    Anthropology
    Asia
    Backpack
    Basketball
    Best Seller Lists
    Blogging
    Book-marketing
    Book Review
    Book Reviews
    Cambodia
    Charity
    Child-poverty
    Cloud 9
    Communications
    Costa Rica
    Crazy-asia
    Culture
    Dumaguete
    Education
    Environment
    Ethics In Writing
    Expatriate
    Favorite Song
    Festivals
    Fraternity
    Funny
    Future
    Geography
    Give A Photo
    Giveaway
    Giving Back
    Health
    Heroes
    History
    Hugo Chavez
    Human Rights
    Humor
    India
    Islands
    Itunes
    Laugh
    Maps
    Marijuana
    Martial Arts
    Memoir
    Music
    Nature
    Nicaragua
    Non Violence
    Non-violence
    Ocean
    One Love
    One-love
    Our World
    Philanthropy
    Philippines
    Population
    Positive
    Positivity
    Postcard
    Poverty
    Pura Vida
    Pushups In The Prayer Room
    Race
    Reviews
    Safety
    San Juan Del Sur
    Science
    Screenplay
    Self Publish
    Siargao
    Social Media
    Southeast-asia
    South Of Normal
    Speech
    Sri Lanka
    Story
    Surf
    Surfing
    Tamarindo
    Thailand
    The Philippines
    The-queens-of-dragon-town
    Tourism
    Travel
    United Nations
    Venezuela
    Work From The Beach
    World Health
    Writers Forum
    Writing
    Writing Forum
    Writing Your First Book

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

Norm Schriever

Email:     hi@NormSchriever.com