It hasn’t been an easy year for Deanne Bañares. As a student at Ateneo taking up AB Psychology, meeting the demands of her senior year has meant giving up time for some of the things she’s passionate about—like helping little kids. “But it’s always been in my head—I wanted to do something special for kids this Christmas,” she said.

So when she saw that Super was looking for wishes to grant during the holidays, she sent us this e-mail:

“I’ve had a rough and challenging year so I’ve been trying to think of the best way to end this year on a high note. I’ve realized that the Christmas season has become commercialized over the past years. People are so busy planning parties and buying gifts that instead of it being a season of joy, it has become very stressful and anxiety-inducing. I’m quite sad that we have forgotten the real meaning of this beautiful season. I’ve been praying and hoping for a Christmas miracle and I honestly and wholeheartedly think that would come from making other people happy—the people who really need to see the love that can transpire amid difficult times.

“My Christmas wish is to give toys to kids who need them—toys that they will really enjoy. They deserve to know and feel what it’s like to have a very merry Christmas. I really hope you can help me out with this so we can make children happy and bring back the real meaning of Christmas in our own little way.”

Good news

Deanne is no stranger to making a difference in children’s lives. She’s a Kythe volunteer and has been visiting the babies at Saint Rita Orphanage since she was in grade school. Deanne said, “My mom graduated from Saint Rita in Manila. They have an orphanage near our house. We’ve been working with them for a while. We go there, we visit the babies and the toddlers.”

Deanne wanted to bring joy to the orphans at Saint Rita by bringing them gifts and we wanted to help make it happen.

Instantly, we knew who to call: Millie Dizon, SM’s VP for marketing communications. SM has been Super’s partner in making our readers happy numerous times—from holding fun shoots to giving out prizes. Their reply came fast: SM’s mega toy store Toy Kingdom was pledging P10,000 worth of toys.

We sent Deanne the good news via e-mail and asked her: “Will you be free on Wednesday to shop at Toy Kingdom?”

She answered just a few minutes later:

“You just made my Christmas! THANK YOU! I am tearing up, thank you!”

We met up with Deanne at Toy Kingdom’s flagship store in Megamall. There, amid the flurry of shoppers rushing to finish their Christmas shopping, Deanne filled two carts with toys and treats for the babies and toddlers of Saint Rita Orphanage. Each gift was carefully chosen. “The youngest baby at the orphanage is just a few weeks old, the oldest is 3. I thought, why not get those mobiles for their cribs? I also got floor mats so when they play they can use them. I also got books. People don’t read anymore so I wanted to give them to the kids, to start them young. I chose stuffed toys so they have something to hug. I also got toys they can play with like building blocks.” Deanne also added rattles and teethers to the carts.

Deanne enjoyed shopping for the kids. “It was fun. It reminded me of my childhood. It also made me think about the kids, the babies, how they will feel, what they will want, what they need.”

The staff of Toy Kingdom wrapped each gift and prepared them for the trip to Saint Rita.

Excited

Presents in tow, we hit the road, crossing the Skyway to get to Sucat, Parañaque, where Saint Rita is.

“I’m really excited,” Deanne said. “I really wanna see the babies. The last time I saw them was a year ago.”

There we met Deanne’s family—her mom Lisa, dad Joel, brother Nikee, sister Danie and her grandma Gloria Remigio, who Deanne calls “Lola Glo.” Deanne said, “When I visit the orphanage, I am always with my family. We make it a point to go there together because it has become tradition. I believe that my passion for helping others came first and foremost from my parents. When someone is in need, whether it be a family friend or a stranger, they never let the opportunity to help pass. I think the passion also came from being immersed in environments that make me realize that the world is so much bigger and that there are other people besides myself.”

We were welcomed to Saint Rita by Sr. Ma. Goretti Cui, AR, the directress of Saint Rita Orphanage. We weren’t the only ones visiting the orphanage that day. There was a group of engineers celebrating their Christmas party with the little kids and the nuns who take care of them.

Pink cribs

We walked into the nursery and were greeted by the sight of pink cribs. Pink cribs and babies. Sleeping babies, quiet babies, noisy babies, playing babies, babies sucking on their fingers, babies wriggling their toes.

The orphanage is currently home to 30 babies and toddlers—some had been given up for adoption, some had been rescued by social workers, others had been abandoned at hospitals.

We watched an infant sleeping peacefully. She looked just a few weeks old. “She was born on Dec. 2,” Sr. Merlyn Pelarion said.

Toddlers wandered into the nursery, clearly excited by the brightly colored gifts. They started tugging them open.

Deanne placed teddy bears and stuffed toys in the cribs while her siblings played with the babies and her mom cradled them in her arms.

A little girl with Dora hair walked up to me, a huge impish grin on her face. I knelt down to talk to her. Sr. Merlyn said, “She’s leaving soon. She’s been adopted by a family in Spain.”

The orphans at Saint Rita have found loving families in different parts of the world. Some around the Philippines, others in the US, Australia and Europe.

Happiest day

We asked Sr. Merlyn if they cry when the babies leave. “Siyempre mami-miss namin, but when the social worker calls to tell us na may aampon na sa kanila, that is the happiest day of my life. Kasi ibig sabihin may family na sila. May future na sila.”

And while the other kids wait for their adoptive families to find them, the nuns and the staff of the orphanage care for them round the clock, with some needing more care than others.

One little girl had been operated on because she had water in her brain. She’s just a year old. “We also consulted an ophthalmologist because we noticed her eyes have trouble focusing,” said Sister Merlyn. “We were told she just needed to practice.”

The crib mobile Deanne had chosen would be perfect—it would help exercise the little girl’s eyes.

Deanne’s brother Nikee assembled the mobile and attached it to the little girl’s crib. She gurgled and smiled and started playing with it, tugging at the rope that made the flower spin.

We stroked that little girl’s arm and although her eyes could hardly focus, her little hands clung to our fingers tightly.

Deanne said, “This visit gave me a sense of fulfillment because I was able to bring happiness to the babies there. Handing over the gifts to them and seeing their faces light up warmed my heart. When I attached a mobile to one of the cribs, the baby stopped crying and started playing with the mobile dolls. It felt good to know that the toys I chose were good for them! But I think our presence there was more important because that’s what the orphaned babies really need—a loving touch. Carrying them in my arms, which stopped their crying, brought so much joy.”

We spent time with the kids, hugging them, carrying them, talking to them, playing with them. We were so taken with the kids that we almost forgot that we were there to chronicle Deanne’s visit. How can you hold on to your pen and paper when there are children who need to be hugged? Our photographer Joseph had the same experience. We saw his camera leave his hands so he could calm a crying child or help a toddler pick up a toy. It was so easy to lose one’s self in that room, surrounded by those beautiful babies. It was so hard to leave.

Reluctantly, we said our goodbyes. But even before leaving Saint Rita, we already knew we’d be back.

Deanne, her family and Sister Goretti kept thanking us but the truth is, we felt like we should be thanking them.

That afternoon, the orphans of Saint Rita weren’t the only ones who received a gift from Deanne. We had been touched by her, too.

Saint Rita Orphanage is located at Dr. A. Santos Ave. 1700 Sucat, Parañaque City. Call 8264790.