Saturday, March 9, 2013

“BIONIC” Donor Comes to Town


Marilyn Bernasol, a Grade 7 student and on her first year in St. Francis of Assisi School, is one lucky kid.  When she graduated Valedictorian from Cuaycong Elementary School, she received a scholarship grant from Tapulanga.  Her donor was a first time donor who signed up last April in Tapulanga’s 35 Scholars in 35 Days Challenge. 

Lucky girl, indeed, but that is not the end of the story!

How would you feed if you find out that your donor is the only person in the world with batteries in his chest wired to his brain?  That’s what Marilyn’s donor is.  And she actually came face to face with him!

She met Jess Villanueva, her donor, when he came to town from Phoenix, Arizona last month.  Married and with three children, Tito Jess suffered from labored speech because of Dystonia.  His symptoms abated because of deep brain stimulation which came as an effect of the unique wiring system from his chest to his brain.  He is currently a test subject, making him the single one in the world’s population set-up like this.

Tito Jess has become Marilyn’s inspiration, as she has seen, in real terms, how one person has refused to let physical obstacles prevent him from continuing to live according to God’s beautiful plan for his life.  And most of all, how one person refused to let physical obstacles prevent him from continuing to give and share.  

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