Jherwin's Journey

Last year All Children shared the story of baby Jherwin, who was born in a remote farming village in the Philippines. Jherwin was a healthy baby except for a small lump on his bottom. The family was concerned but there was no hospital nearby and they had no money to travel to the big city. With support from their community and family, the young couple made the day-long bus trip to Naga City to meet with a pediatric surgeon.

The news was not good. Jherwin needed surgery to remove the aggressive tumor. Without intervention, the tumor would continue to grow and he would never be able to walk. In desperation, Jherwin’s family sought help from Queen of Peace Orphanage who contacted All Children for assistance. We agreed to cover all the costs related to Jherwin’s surgery and recovery.

When Jherwin returned to Queen of Peace for his first checkup, he had healed nicely and there were no signs that the tumor had returned. Jherwin is nearly three years old now and has continued to blossom and grow. All Children’s Field Consultant Tanya Diaz visited with Jherwin and his mother late this summer. Although Jherwin is shy, he easily showed Tanya his happy face and ability to move with the speed to match any toddler. Only the long curved surgical scar on his lower back remains to remind his family of Jherwin’s difficult start in life.