Glenn Mayo
- EPCALM
- Jan 13, 2012
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 5
Glenn Mayo is a 36 year old OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) who has been diagnosed with meningitis and AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia) for well over a year now. Only this December did a close friend find and connect with EPCALM to start assisting his family in what ways we can.Glenn Mayo is a 36 year old OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) who has been diagnosed with meningitis and AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia) for well over a year now. Only this December did a close friend find and connect with EPCALM to start assisting his family in what ways we can.
Something noteworthy and wonderfully hopeful regarding Glenn’s battle is that his primary doctor made quite clear to him and his family that there was no real hope of survival past December of 2011. Here we are striding into the beginning of a new year and into Glen’s second round of Chemotherapy treatment!
EPCALM representatives have met up with him and his family some six times now, as well as connected him with the nearest pastor available to be a consistent minister of The Lord in fellowship and spiritual healing. Having been welcomed into Glenn’s household, I can tell you it is a home still full of life, contentment, and no desire to give up or give in.
Glenn’s wife, Menchie, works in a payroll office, and is delighted to have Glenn, herself, and the kids beginning to take more seriously their relationship with God, as this illness makes clearer and clearer the source of hope and healing. With 3 sons and 1 daughter, there is sincerity in Glenn’s eyes when he tells you he wants only more time to set comfortably his family’s condition. Glenn having been an OFW, has been contracted to work as an engineer in many countries. It has been a good path for him to provide and build a home for his family in Batangas City. The drawback, besides of course long times apart from family, has been the possibility of why he may have these illnesses in the first place. Working on a job in the Middle East around hazardous waste and materials was the beginning of signs of threatening ailments. He then came home, was diagnosed with meningitis, then was diagnosed with AML. He went through a cycle of chemotherapy, and has been receiving increasingly regular blood transfusions for treatment through this last year. It has truly been a journey of consistent peaks and valleys, as blood transfusions going from monthly, to nearly weekly as 2012 approaches.
The good news: Glenn has started a second round of Chemo on Dec.27th, and we hope and pray with all fervor to see continued results of health in Glenn’s life. We see a family who is truly thankful for what they have. We therefore pray that they will see clearly the hand of God working in their lives for good. We hear a family who is happy to hear the good news found within scripture, we therefore pray for Pastor Benny and all other messengers of our great Father to convey the truth in clarity, hope, and inspiration by Jesus and his earthly ministry to bring joy and eternal life to those who seek.
Give a word of encouragement, a donation of love, or simply a prayer for Glenn and his family as they journey a difficult path. May the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven be made by our heart and our hands everyday. Blessings be to Glenn Mayo and household, and blessings truly be with you all.
By: Lukas A. Nelson
Servant of the Father and EPCALM Representative
January 13, 2012
Let Our Light Shine
Reuniting with old friends and batchmates we haven’t seen in 23 or so years was enlightening. Some still look the same while others changed to a point that they can no longer be recognized. Some are as naughty and witty as they used to while some of the quiet ones became more outspoken. Some got married while others remained single. Some remained friends while others made new ones. These are what usually happens when a reunion is being planned.
But for St. Bridget College (SBC) Grade School Batch ’88, it didn’t end there. Having realized that there is a fellow batchmate in need brought out the best in most of us if not all of us.
As our former school’s motto “Let your light shine” entails, our group, 254 former students of SBC, who simply wanted to keep in touch and reconnect with the group ended up making life-changing decisions not for ourselves but for others. Specifically for our dear friend and batchmate,
Engr. Glenn S. Mayo, who is suffering from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Glenn is so dear to each one of us that we didn’t simply want to give him support and financial donation, but we also want to help him and his family with whatever they need. This is the reason why we connected with EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines. And now that the foundation is helping us help Glenn, our group feels that there is more that can be done.
It took a while for the group to gain momentum to form as a unit to come up with a project but once we did, we overcame a lot of obstacles just to make things move faster. We believe that helping others and doing things for others came more naturally for each one of us more than it used to. We, as a group, have gained more confidence that through cooperation and dedication to a single purpose we can make things happen and let our light shine for others.
Our simple reunion has turned into something more meaningful because of Glenn. We will continue to pray for his recovery, as well as continue to help him and his family. Batch ’88 will never be the same again. We will continue to let our light shine and we will do it together.
By Kristine G. Balmes
Glenn’s Batchmate
Feb 2, 2012 at 4:48 AM
New Hope, New Beginning(by Kristine G. Balmes)
Losing someone dear to you is never easy. Losing someone whom you knew you can lose anytime isn’t easier at all. But losing someone you thought was doing well despite having an illness is a very shocking experience.
When I heard the news that our dear batchmate, Engr. Glenn S. Mayo passed away last February 4, I was in total shock. It took me a few hours before I realized that it really did happen. I was in disbelief and denial because I have spent the week before he passed away admiring him of his strength and courage to fight leukemia. Losing Glenn didn’t stop our batch from pursuing our goal to help his family despite him being gone. We pushed through with our planned fun run for him but we decided to give the proceeds to his wife and kids instead.
The date was February 19, 2011. We started setting up everything necessary for the fun run as early as two in the morning. Volunteers from the batch, EPCALM, sponsors, PNP, Traffic Division and Barangay Tanods, helped make the route ready for the runners. By 5:00am, the registration booth opened for on-site registrants. The program started a little over 6:00am.
The opening prayer as well as a short inspiring message was given by Dr. Erlyn Demerre, EPCALM Chairman.
A very lively opening remarks was delivered by Batangas City Councilor Claudette Ambida. She is the author of the Resolution supporting the Fun Run for Engr. Glenn Mayo.
The countdown for the 5K runners started after the National Anthem. There was a short delay with the countdown for the 3K runners because of the large number of registrants still wanting to join the fun run and are still at the registration booths.
There were about 600 runners who joined the fun run from the almost 1,000 registrants. The winners for the 5K Men’s and Women’s Division as well as the 3K Men’s and Women’s Division were awarded following the very heartfelt message of the widow of Engr. Glenn Mayo.
A closing remarks/prayer was given by EPCALM Spiritual Director, Pastora Norma Manuel.
The Fun Run wouldn’t be a success without the help of the EPCALM Foundation, our sponsors – Mekeni Hotdog, Milo, San Miguel, Gatorade (Pepsi), McDonald’s, Citimart Department Store, Barangay Captain Arthur Blanco, City Councilor Isay Macaraig, Ms. Iris Silang, the Macatangay family, and our batchmates who helped raised funds, promote the fun run, volunteered or joined the fun run and donated time and money for the fun run.
Now that the Fun Run is over, our batch, St. Bridget College Grade School ’88, is in high spirits. We have raised enough money to help the family of our dear friend and batchmate. We have as well helped his wife, Menchie, raise their four children in our own little way. I believe that there is a new sense of hope and beginning for Glenn’s family. And for us, his batchmates, we have never felt more satisfied and glad of our accomplishment of helping Glenn’s family.
I know Glenn is in the loving arms of our Lord now. And he is constantly watching over his family and all of us dear to him. And even though he may not be physically present during the Fun Run, Glenn is happily watching over us ever step of the way. Glenn, you will be missed by all of us. You have been a true source of inspiration. Let your light continue to shine and empower each one of us.
Goodbye, my friend! We will miss you a lot.
A Councilor’s Story (by Claudette Ambida)
A Resolution of Support for the Fun Run against Leukemia and (for) our fellow Batangueño, Mr. Glenn Mayo, was passed and approved (by) the Sangguniang Panlungsod during our February 6 regular session. I was supposed to meet Glenn in person that day, but 2 days (prior to our meeting), he unfortunately passed away taking (away) the chance of us having a conversation.
I didn’t have the chance to talk to him, to meet him. It was early Sunday morning of February 19 when I drove all by myself from our home to the grounds of PPA to support and participate (in) the fun run organized by the Saint Bridget’s College (SBC) batch ’88, in cooperation with EPCALM. I (had) a hard time getting myself (out of) bed for i had a late night schedule for another fundraising project the day before.
My motivation i guess, came from the belief that the wife and family of Mr. Glenn Mayo, will be needing my 100% support in this one of a kind project. Being assigned by the Batch Coordinator, Ms. Kristine Balmes, to deliver the Welcome Remarks without voice at all because i barely slept, my husky and distorted voice seemed music to the ears of the family of Mr. Glenn Mayo, as I gave the utmost appreciation of support to the people (who came to support the activity).
Seeing a lot of runners in their complete running outfit made me think that if and only if Mr. Glenn Mayo (would have) made it (to) the run that day, what a feeling of joy he would have felt. Perhaps (if Glenn would have made it to the event, he would have been “boosted up” emotionally, seeing the expression of support that his fellow Batangueño’s gave to the event organized for him). Who knows? maybe (Glenn was) just around the corner (during) that time. The good thing is the emotional strength (achieved during the event ) would (now be) passed on to his wife, as well as his children.
After the 3k and 5k (run), the organizers determined the winners.. some got medals, some didn’t. I am sure (though) that all of the (participants that day) were winners, not in the run, but in great deed. Sweating after (the) run symbolized the hardship (that each) had in the run, equivalent to the hope given not only to the family who benefited from the run but for the call that somehow we could fight Leukemia. Its not that we are giving false hopes (to) the people suffering from Leukemia but somehow letting them feel that we are (partnering with) them in their fight adds spice to their struggling life.
One thing is for sure, they are all winners by heart. Fact is the fun run generated money to assist Sir Glenn’s family but the more trivial one is the friendship and camaraderie formed during the event that in some way we could be a warrior for another’s battle, we could be a candle of hope and we could be a runner by heart. The speech of gratitude from Glenn’s family with shaky voice and teary eyes seemed melodramatic but the ironic side of it is that the event put a big smile on people’s faces. It was both beneficial to both parties: the family on financial and emotional assistance , runners on their social obligation for letting them be an instrument to help the needy.
I may have not met nor talked to Sir Glenn ever but i know wherever he is right now, he is happy, he is smiling for many people knew his worth and people will continue living the legacy he left to people… having people unite for a reason, for a cause.. Long Live Batangueños!
by Claudette Ambida
Mar 12, 2012 8:07 PM
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