We had been blessed with twenty-four wonderful years with an angel, Judy Rivera. She is a daughter to Ely and Lucy Rivera, a sister to Wendy and Ryan, and family and friend to loved ones across the globe—the Philippines, Switzerland, and U.S.A.In her short season here on earth, she affected many with her love, faith, kindness, humility, passion for adventure, and her tomato-red-turning-face sense of humor!
Our Father in heaven called her home on December 8th, 2006, after 4 months of fighting a rare blood disease called Myelodysplastic Sydrome (MDS). Judy certainly remained strong-willed and held on to her faith as she underwent alternative ways to treat her disease and as we searched for a bone marrow donor. We will continue the good fight she had started. The bone marrow drives in the U.S. will continue and we will work to reach the goal of establishing a donor registry in the Philippines, in her honor. This effort began in the hope of saving her life, but God is now painting a bigger picture... Her testimony can inspire other patients and can further the cause of saving their lives!
We want to thank all of our family, friends, colleagues, doctors, prayer warriors, donors, and even strangers who offered their support and love to Judy and her family. Her life will continue to inspire us to live and love as she did, making each day count for God and others. We now have a new angel watching over us and we're sure she is rejoicing up there, telling us not to worry for she's home with the Father now. She's probably dancing (though we couldn't get her to dance here) and smiling and laughing non-stop :). If there's a karaoke in heaven, she would be hogging the mic for sure! She used to sing in choir for Sta. Clara Parish, but now she belongs to a heavenly choir, for eternity.
Our Father in heaven called her home on December 8th, 2006, after 4 months of fighting a rare blood disease called Myelodysplastic Sydrome (MDS). Judy certainly remained strong-willed and held on to her faith as she underwent alternative ways to treat her disease and as we searched for a bone marrow donor. We will continue the good fight she had started. The bone marrow drives in the U.S. will continue and we will work to reach the goal of establishing a donor registry in the Philippines, in her honor. This effort began in the hope of saving her life, but God is now painting a bigger picture... Her testimony can inspire other patients and can further the cause of saving their lives!
We want to thank all of our family, friends, colleagues, doctors, prayer warriors, donors, and even strangers who offered their support and love to Judy and her family. Her life will continue to inspire us to live and love as she did, making each day count for God and others. We now have a new angel watching over us and we're sure she is rejoicing up there, telling us not to worry for she's home with the Father now. She's probably dancing (though we couldn't get her to dance here) and smiling and laughing non-stop :). If there's a karaoke in heaven, she would be hogging the mic for sure! She used to sing in choir for Sta. Clara Parish, but now she belongs to a heavenly choir, for eternity.
