For Errol

Accidents happen! Here’s one sad story that moved me today.

As I was gathering stories this morning, I ended up at the provincial hospital. A friend at the front desk secretly told me there were few good stories inside; a suicidal mother, vehicular accident victims, and stabbing survivors. I got all them, exclusively. As I was about to leave the ward station, a woman approached me. She had no problem, but her neighbor does. She directed me to ward room 49. I saw an old woman sitting beside a boy in life support. She’s a native b’laan from Malalag, Davao del Sur, and she talks odd. She was emotional but you can’t feel it because of the language barrier. I asked her how may I help them. Then she started telling the story of his five year old grandson.

Last Sunday, his son dug a whole in the ground for their “ulingan”. After lighting up the woods and coconut shell, he tried to reach more at the other side but he can’t reach it so he jumped across the burning woods in the ground. Unknowingly, Errol Dianon, his five-year old son, saw him jump. When his father left to gather more woods, Jason played along the “ulingan”. Then he tried to jump across too. Jason did not make it to the other side. Half of his body was grilled for about a minute while he was trying by himself to get out of the burning pit. Errol got out of the pit but can’t walk. The grandmother, who just got home from washing clothes at the riverbank, saw Jason crawling away from the pit. She cried out for help but nobody was in sight. She immediately rushed Errol to the nearest hospital.

Errol is saved, for now. The doctors tried to save him by giving antibiotics and ointment for his third degree burns in his legs up to waist. But that was last Monday. Errol never had his next medication due to poverty. His father depends on ulingan as his primary income. His mother stays at home to take care of the rest of his seven brothers and sisters.

While Errol’s lola was telling the story, my eyes were filled with tears. In my mind, I thought, who can help Errol? I pulled out my wallet and gave them my last 200. In the afternoon, my boss told me to effectively tell Jason’s story on TV Patrol so that we can solicit help for Errol.

Errol needs to be transferred to DMC Burn Center for proper medical attention to avoid infections or even cause Jason’s death.

If you want to help Errol, please coordinate with Bantay Bata 163 – Davao.

Help us save Errol’s life.