The Gift of Giving and the Hope it Inspires

The countdown to Christmas is almost over! With just one week left until the joyous day, families all over Belize have decorated their trees, wrapped presents, and bought the Christmas ham. However, not everyone gets to enjoy this blissful holiday experience. Many families are struggling to make ends meet, with bills to pay and mouths to feed. For them, a picturesque holiday season wouldn’t be possible without the help of kind-hearted individuals stepping in to ease their financial burden. In this edition of the Five-Point Breakdown, we delve into the hardships some families face and how one act of kindness can change someone’s life. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Inside a modest wooden structure in the Lake Independence Area, there’s no Christmas tree or fairy lights—just a bed in the corner of the room where five residents sleep. It’s a tight squeeze for thirty-six-year-old Devona Pascasio and her four children, but they make do. The space is about to get even smaller, as Devona is nearly nine months pregnant with a baby girl. To make matters worse, six months ago, Devona received the heartbreaking news that her son, Triston, has cancer.

 

A Family’s Struggle to Make Ends Meet

 

Devona Pascascio, Mother

“Before he mi get sick, I actually mi di work. Never make a lot, but still try and manage. But then, he gets sick, and I lose my job because he gets sick. I’h mi hard but I mi di get help from my family, they still support me, but  I just can’t depend, it’s hard to just depend on family.”

 

A year ago, Devona noticed a troubling growth on her son’s neck. As it grew larger, their hospital visits became more frequent, and her desperation to help him intensified. These days, Devona spends most of her time at home, unable to work as she cares for Triston. The entire family’s lives were turned upside down as they focused all their attention and resources on his treatment. Everything changed when Devona met Albert Magdaleno, the founder of Ladyville Highlights. Determined to help, Albert stepped in, bringing hope and support to Triston and his family.

 

Community Assistance Helps Family Find Answers

 

Devona Pascascio

“I did up and down da doctor and couldn’t figure out da what until mister Albert actually saw my son, and then he brought him home. One day and he contacted me and,  that da how I get all the help, I get answers, too. Because I mi deh up and down da doctor and nobody get no way. They test and still nobody get no answers. Until Ladyville Highlights came in and then, and then people saw my story and helped a lot, I get a lot of help through Ladyville Highlights. And that’s why I get to find out that I’m true pediatric. That yeah, that I’m, that it was cancerous.”

 

Thanks to the power of social media, donations from around the world have poured in to help Devona. For over six years, Albert Magdaleno has used his popular Facebook page to highlight the financial struggles of Belizeans. Despite the demanding nature of the work, Albert and his wife Fiona have devoted their lives to this mission, believing it to be a calling from God.

 

Answering The Call To Help Others

 

Albert Magdaleno, Founder, Ladyville Highlights

“I don’t look for nobody. Everybody find me. They get my phone number, or they know somebody who knows me, and they locate me, and they come with their stories. And we present their stories to the world. We pray about it because it’s not just to just put on Facebook and then shoot out. We pray and say, God, we hope that this person will get the help and then we post it. God move on the hearts of the donors and the magic happens after that.”

 

Albert used to work as a postman, but a few years ago, he left that job to dedicate himself full-time to running Ladyville Highlights. Now, instead of delivering mail, he delivers gifts and hope to those in need.

 

 Fiona Magdaleno, Co-founder, Ladyville Highlights

“We have sleepless nights. We are exhausted. Sometimes we go from morning till night. Sunday to Sunday, we don’t have an eight to five. It’s Sunday to Sunday. Yes, I do have an eight to five, so I work after five with him. Before he did this full-time. He used to do it after five as well. And it’s very rewarding because seeing people and seeing the happiness in people, seeing people be uplifted from what they, where they are to what they are now.”

 

Ladyville Highlights plays a crucial role in channeling donations to families like Devona’s. However, this life-changing work wouldn’t be possible without the generous donors who see the page and decide to join the NGO’s mission. One such donor is Patricia Fairweather, who recently returned to Belize after decades abroad and has eagerly jumped in to help.

 

How Generous Donors Help Make the Magic Happen

 

 Patricia Fairweather, Donor

“ I came from Georgia to visit last year. One of my friends in Florida, Trisha, hi Trisha, she told me about Ladyville Highlights. So she sent me the link and I went on and I said, Oh, I like this. I came, I met the Magdanalenos and I went with them on a run to Double Head Cabbage and a donation run.  And I said, Oh my God, this is what I love to do..”

 

With Devona expecting another baby in January, Magdaleno brought diapers and Christmas gifts to her home on Tuesday. This heartwarming delivery was made possible by long-time donor Jorge Gonzalez, who has generously allowed Albert to use his truck for deliveries since 2017.

 

 Jorge Gonzalez, Donor

“ My wife was going through her phone, and she found Ladyville Highlights. At the moment they needed transportation. I had a truck that I wasn’t using, so I let him use it till now.”

 

Even though the operation to remove the tumor from eleven-year-old Triston’s neck was a success, his journey to recovery is far from over. The cancer has begun to spread to his brain, and doctors are not optimistic about his prognosis. However, his mother remains hopeful. She expresses deep gratitude for every donation and word of encouragement from those who have heard her family’s story.

 

How Kindness Keeps Faith For A Better Future Alive

 

Devona Pascascio

“ Since people, people helping me,  make it more easier.  I know that, they still have good people out there. Even the ones that even, we may have someone who help you financially or that, but just work hard, as in fact, I write, go ahead and go, how Tristan is doing. And everybody, we may pray, that helped me a lot too, because when doctor give up on me. I still never give up.”

 

She says that as long as her son is alive, she will keep faith in the power of prayer and the kindness of others. Britney Gordon for News Five.