The Heart of Mary Villa, Home to babies without parents, was not spared from the damages brought by typhoon `Ondoy’ which hit Manila and the neighbouring provinces last September. When Ondoy struck Malabon, 23 babies were in the Heart of Mary, one has a hole in the heart and needs urgent surgery and four were newly born.

In her appeal to the writer, Sr. Lorenz of the Heart of Mary Villa in Malabon run by her Congregation, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd stated, “water rose over eight feet and the Nursery, chapel, and the first floor of both the Maternity Home and the convent, where the offices are were under water.”

The caregivers and the sisters were just in time before the glass doors of the nursery broke down and the concrete wall of HMV collapsed from the pressure of the incoming water. They were able to carry the babies to the second floor.

“All that the caregivers and Sisters could take along were a few cans of milk and some packs of disposable diapers,” Sr.Lorenz further reported. Everything was lost.

The babies were cramped up in a small place which used to be the maternity room. Mosquitoes abound the warm room. The caregivers and Sisters were almost on a twenty-four-hour-duty watching and taking care of the babies because they hardly slept and kept on crying.

Like she did to help the SIBOL project of Gawad Kalinga, the writer again approached Myrla Danao Barten for help. Myrla asked for a copy of Sr. Lorenz’ report of the flood destructions in the Home. She said the board of Stichting Con Amor where she is a member will hold a meeting in two days.

As Catholics the members of Stichting (Foundation) Con Amor based in Utrecht province are aware of the charity work the Sisters of the Good Shepherd do all over the world. After hearing the report and when shown photographs of the babies and the damages in the Villa the Board decided to send immediate help.

Thanking Con Amor Board members and acknowledging their US$4400 donation, Sr. Lorenz wrote, “At present, our nineteen babies are temporarily staying in our Formation House in Quezon City.  They will be there while repairs of the Nursery are under way and until the water around the premises are totally drained.  It is almost a month, yet the stagnant water stays on.  Several steps have been done. This situation will be completely addressed only after the two walls that collapsed have been replaced.”

 

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine