Wearing designer finery from the likes of Rajo Laurel, Mark Bumgarner and Avel Bacudio, among others, children afflicted with the big C betrayed none of the hardships they have suffered. Instead of pain and despair, they strutted the runway armed with pure joy and innocence. And guests responded, donating a total of P19 million to the foundation’s efforts to help fund the children’s cancer ward and bone marrow transplant center at the Philippine General Hospital.
Text and photos by Alex Y. Vergara
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, as young “cancer warriors,” many still sporting wigs to make up for their missing hair due most probably to the effects of chemotherapy, gamely strutted the runway and struck poses last September 15 at the Shangri-La Fort’s grand ballroom in creations by designers Rajo Laurel, Mark Bumgarner, Martin Bautista, Andrea Tetangco and Avel Bacudio.
Members of the audience couldn’t help but marvel and smile at the children’s positive outlook despite having suffered from a debilitating and life-threatening disease at such a young age. There wasn’t a trace of the hardship each of them has been through and continues to go through. Instead of pain and despair, pure joy and innocence were written on their faces as they happily braved the spotlight. One girl even walked the runway in crutches, earning cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd.
And like real pros, those who went through a few missteps – one girl even slipped and landed on her behind while exiting the ramp – quickly regained their composure as if nothing had happened. All in the name of courage and charity.
Dubbed as “Shine,” the fashion show is the highlight of I Want to Share Foundation’s charity ball spearheaded by founding chair Sheila Romero, herself a cancer warrior, to help generate funding for juvenile cancer patients of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
Apart from anti-cancer medicines, the additional funding will be used for the children’s MRI tests, securing second opinions from doctors abroad, especially for complicated and advance cases, and transporting the children and their families from various parts of the Philippines to Manila for treatment.
A portion of the money generated will also be used by Sheila and her board, which includes such famous and influential names as fashion director Robby Carmona, businessman Sam Versoza, SM Supermall’s Steven Tan, designer Monika Ravanera and actor-influencer Dominic Roque, to fund PGH’s bone marrow transplant center.
The event’s other highlight was a series of auctions officiated by Tim Yap. Donated items for auction included artworks from such artists as Aia Santos-Halili, Andres Barrioquinto, Dino Gabito, Ramon Orlina and Daniel dela Cruz, among others, a Rolex watch and a Maserati car.
Valued at P9.5 million, the Maserati donated by Versoza was easily the evening’s priciest item up for bidding. Before the series of biddings ended, the luxury car went to winning bidder Annette Gozon of GMA. It also proved to be Annette’s lucky night. Not only was she able to donate for a cause. Because no one in the room was bold enough to outbid her, she drove off with her dream car after bidding only P7 million.
The indefatigable Sheila, who was up on her feet all night working the room and attending to all sorts of details, and her collaborators were overjoyed by guests’ outpouring of love and generosity. Their initial target of generating P9 million from the maiden effort far exceeded anyone’s expectations. By the end of the night, the event generated a total of P19 million, all of for the benefit of the young cancer warriors at PGH.
According to Sheila, in an earlier interview with Bum Tenorio, which came out in PeopleAsia, I Want to Share Foundation started with a dream to make a positive impact in the lives of the needy. So, in 2013, with the help of her sisters and closest friends—all eight of them—the foundation was formed. Armed with the thought that “to whom much is given, much is expected,” they started to bring joy, love, hope and help to people in need.
“I knew at that time that I was already surrounded by a solid group of people who would be I Want to Share Foundation’s founding members in 2013. They are well-meaning individuals who share the same dream. We have a unified vision to give a part of ourselves to our society in whatever way we can and to be able to influence others to do the same,” she shared with Tenorio.
She added, “Over the years, I saw how the hands of God picked the right people to join us in our mission to build a community of sharers and foster a culture of giving among our peers.” There are now more than 25 members of the foundation.
The foundation has gone beyond its initial mandate of helping young cancer warriors. Over the years, members and their supporters have conducted relief operations and medical missions for survivors of such devastating typhoons as Maring and Yolanda in 2013 and Odette in 2021.
They have also given out educational scholarships to deserving students in Philippine Science High School and have supported other charitable institutions such as the Ephesus Shelter for Children, EPCALM-Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines, I Can Serve Foundation that supports breast cancer patients and Bright Halls Children’s Foundation, an orphanage that Sheila also founded. They also help fund the education of young men for the priesthood.
“A meaningful life is a purpose-driven life. A life without purpose is no life at all. God has shown me my purpose and that is to be a beacon of hope for children afflicted with cancer,” Sheila said.
What pushes Sheila to go beyond just simply signing a check? The sincerity of the children’s smiles and warmth of their laughter are enough, she said, to wash away your own problems. Their joy is contagious, electrifying even, she shared with Tenorio.
And for one night, the stage was theirs, proving to everyone that cancer can be beaten not only with early detection and modern medicine. But most especially with the support and generosity of everyone who genuinely cares and wants to share.
