On the 21st of February, he would have been five, this little boy of mine. I remember him quietly sitting in his chair, surrounded by his dinosaur and Batman books. He would while away the hours just browsing through the pages, looking intently at each picture.

After the books, he would hie off into his daddy's chair and sit transfixed watching the adventures of Scooby Doo or Akazukin Cha Cha. He would often ask to see "Jurassic Park," or "The Lost World" - and for someone his age, he manifested an extraordinary braveness while watching some of the pretty scary and gory scenes.

In the Evenings before going to sleep, he would ask me to read him "The Day of the Dinosaurs" each and every night. It had come to the point that he had memorized the names of each and every dinosaur that had ever roamed the earth and I had memorized every word, every sentence, every period and every exclamation point. Today, I would like to imagine him in heaven, riding a Brontosaurus, wearing his Batman cape with his favorite plastic golf club in hand, grinning and watching over the rest of us down here.

To keep his memory alive and at the same time to help convalescent children at the Philippine Heart Center, it is our desire to set up a book and video library/ play corner which we hope to open on February 21, 1999 - Migi's fifth birthday. During our two hospital stays at the PHC we noted that the children there did not have any form of recreation, no area for play. All there was, was a barren green-carpeted area with toys that had seen better days. Very recently they had opened a small play center but it is stll sorely lacking in amenities for appropriate play therapy. You must understand that a child confined at the Heart Center who awaits surgery, normally stays there for an average of ten days (barring any complications).

The indigent who wait for a slot to open are there from anywhere from two weeks to one month. Without any form of recreation, this can be such an interminable wait for any child. It is our wish to make life a little happier for those children who are very sick or awaiting heart surgery.

To set up the Library/Play Area these are some of the things we will be needing. A 29 inch color television set, a vhs player, kiddie monobloc chairs and tables, children's books (Tagalog and English for ages 3-12), children's vhs tapes (Tagalog and English), a small playhouse, educational toys (puzzles etc…)

If your heart goes out to this cause and would like to help in setting up this library, please call me at (647-1280) or email me at migiscorner@gmail.com

Your assistance will go a long way and be deeply appreciated. Migi was a brave boy but being a child, he grew a little fearful as he was about to undergo his operation. That afternoon, he had asked me how long the surgery was going to take and if I was going to be with him during the proceedure.

When I told him it would only take a while, one of the last things he told me was, " Mom, are you going to be with me forever?" These are the words that I carry with me constantly and from them I derive the inspiration to keep his memory alive, to help other children as they go trek the path of healing that Migi once so bravely took.

Godbless!

Sincerely,

Cathy Babao-Guballa