By Bayani San Diego Jr.

SHERRY GERVACIO’S DAY USUALLY BEGINS AT 6 a.m., when she is given her morning medicine by a nurse at the Island Nursing Home in Hawaii. Like clockwork, a daily ritual begins 45 minutes later: a nurse’s assistant suctions her, brushes her teeth, gives her a bath and changes her clothes.
Every four to six hours, nurse’s assistants take Sherry’s blood pressure and temperature.
Between nebulizer treatments and massage and exercise sessions for her arms and legs, Sherry spends the day in a hospital bed, watching Korean and Filipino soap operas on TFC or The Filipino Channel or working on the computer.

Every other day, Sherry, who turns 36 on April 24, is allowed to sit in a wheelchair for at least three hours.
This is the life Sherry has known for the past 19 years.
The third child of Filipinos who had migrated to Hawaii in 1971, Sherry was a typical Filipino-American teenager brimming with hope and promise.
Quite unexpectedly, Sherry was downed by cardiac and respiratory arrest at the age of 17.
The doctor’s diagnosis sounded grim: She was afflicted with a rare from of muscular dystrophy called Reducing Body Myopathy.
Fortunately, Sherry inherited her parents’ resilience and unwavering faith. Her dad Loreto, a retired US Navy man, was originally from Cavite, while mom Matea hailed from San Mateo, Rizal.
Iron will “I survived because of the care and compassion of my doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists at Tripler Medical Center,” she told the Inquirer through e-mail. “My mother and my faith in God gave me strength.”
Although she was confined in the hospital for six grueling months, she managed to graduate from Moanalua High School, “with honors,” in 1989.
“I had a tutor and took the home study program,” she said.
Iron-willed Sherry later enrolled at the Kapiolani Community College, majoring in Computer Programming.
“I studied for three years, but was forced to quit due to the gradual progression of my ailment,” she recalled.
Her illness robbed Sherry of speech, but it also allowed her to nurture her other gifts.
“I was never interested in writing,” she said. “I only started composing poetry after I became sick. It was a way for me to share my feelings since I’m unable to speak.”
3 volumes To record her musings, a portable computer table was specially designed for her by RM Professional Services. The computer screen is connected to an arm which can be moved, so she can use it even when she’s in bed.
Like other writers, Sherry has good and bad days. “Sometimes writing poetry comes easy. I get inspired right away and a poem pops in my head. Other times, it takes longer and my mind draws a blank.” A constant source of inspiration is her mom.
“Most of my poems are dedicated to her,” Sherry said. “Without my mom’s love and strength, I would have given up a long time ago. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
In the past 19 years, she has written enough poetry to fill up three volumes.
One fine day, she decided to compile her poems in a book, which she titled “Journey of My Heart.”
“While surfing the Net, I found the website of Tammy Yee-Custodio, a Chinese artist who’s married to a Filipino. I asked her to do the illustrations for my book and she agreed. Luckily, she also lives in Hawaii.”

Meeting Sharon a dream
Sherry’s mom sent the manuscript to different publishers, but was rejected every time. Not easily dissuaded, her mom decided to publish the book herself, with the help of Tammy and Mel Nakahara of RM Professional Services.
Hers is a story of inspiration, Sherry asserted. “I wish my book will inspire others not to give up hope, no matter how hard life may be. Believe in yourself and in God because dreams do come true.”
Speaking of dreams, Sherry fulfilled one wish when she met idol Sharon Cuneta at the Hawaiian leg of the Mega Concert Tour in 2005. As bonus, she also met Martin Nievera.
“I’ve been a fan since I saw her debut movie ‘Dear Heart’ in 1981. I wrote to her sometime in 1993. She wrote back and we’ve been in touch since. Sharon’s friendship means the world to me,” she said. Although she tries to remain positive, she is keenly aware of the seriousness of her illness.
Wish list “Slowly, my health is deteriorating,” Sherry admitted. “I used to be able to walk and breathe on my own without using a ventilator. But now, I’m wheelchair-bound and ventilator-dependent. I see different doctors—a cardiologist, along with pulmonary and ENT specialists—every three months.”
Still, she remained willfully upbeat in her letters. “In the 19 years I’ve been sick, I’ve only been hospitalized a few times.”
Sherry shared a wish list that’s eloquent in its simplicity: “I wish I weren’t sick anymore. I wish my mom stays healthy and lives a long time. I wish my book is a success, so that I’ll have a second or third book. I wish to travel. I wish to go home.”

PDI, February 25, 2007