“I love you 3000” was as memorable as the movie where the line came from. But in Make-A-Wish Foundation Philippines, it takes on a whole new meaning as they’ve granted the 3000th wish made by Mark Jamir “MJ” Cantuangco.
MJ is a young boy diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Currently, he’s undergoing treatment at the Philippine General Hospital.
Growing up in Cavite, MJ has never experienced riding on an airplane. But despite that, he loves looking up at the clouds, watching the planes fly, and often wonders how it feels “to be in the sky” for he aspires to become a pilot when he grows up.
And with the help of real-life heroes composed of volunteers and sponsors working with the foundation, MJ’s wish came true.
“We are so grateful to have real-life heroes who believe in our mission and work with us in transforming lives, one wish at a time. We are celebrating this milestone of granting the 3,000th wish in the Philippines and we could not have done all these without the support of our volunteers, sponsors and partners,” said Ana Chua, president of the Foundation.
As a preparation for his first take off, MJ visited the Philippine Airlines Flight Simulation Center. Here, he got to experience riding a flight simulator and spent the day with three pilots who taught him about the technical aspects of a commercial airplane.
On August 5, with the help of Marc Soong, president of Autostrada Motore, Inc., together with First Aviation Academy, MJ successfully lead his first flight. He even experienced underground schooling by Capt. Janine Alcantara;be in a simulator with Capt. Mike Tan, and fly a four-seater plane with Capt. Bryan David.
That day, MJ wasn’t the only one who reached cloud nine, but also everyone who made his dream turn to reality. They know they will always look back on this day with fondness, joy, and hope shared with a young boy bravely battling a critical illness.
MJ wasn’t the only one who reached cloud nine, but also everyone who made his dream turn to reality.
Source: Manila Bulletin