It’s a rainy Saturday, December
21, 2013. It’s now almost 7AM and I just finished my talk closing the
ceremonies for the 4th Arlie Parenas Commemorative Fun Run 2013. At Speed
Computer College this is an annual event that we do in honor of our erstwhile
Chairman, Engr. Arlie, who passed away in December of 2009 due to a stroke.
What makes this Fun Run 2013 special is that the proceeds are intended to help: (1) The Typhoon Yolanda victims of Tacloban; (2) Engr. Roan Espinas, School Administrator of TESDA Bulusan; and (3) Speed Center for Leadership advocacies. I would probably blog about this morning’s event in the near future. Now my story is about what I spoke of this morning – how we helped the ‘Man with a Triangle Head’.
Elpidio Gersalia is a high school teacher at the Sorsogon National High School. He is also a faculty member of Speed Computer College and teaches tertiary level after office hours on part-time basis. He is in his mid-40’s I think, single, and living a comfortable life. But he has many dependents typical of Filipino families.
Sometime in July, 2012 he suffered a stroke. He had to undergo immediate brain surgery to live. The medical diagnosis for his condition was Decompressive Hemicranietomy due to large artery Infarct.
After a week, word reached me that he was in dire straights, and selling property to cope with the tremendous medical expenses. This was when we decided to organize a “Run for a Cause” to raise funds for him and other advocacies of the Speed Center for Leadership. At first it was a quiet effort among the students, faculty and staff of Speed Computer College. But when I posted the banner that I had created for the event on my FB wall, a lot of outpouring came in from my friends here and abroad.
We did the run on August 14, 2013 at 5AM. I remember it cost P100 to support one runner if you have to shell out that amount to pay for his registration fee. Around 46 of my friends paid for mine. Someone from Taiwan even sent me Nike Running Shoes for the event.
Days later, I brought my staff to Elpidio’s hospital to turn-over our financial aid. As I entered the door, I could see that it was empty and bare, except for 2 people inside. A man is seated on the bed with his back comfortably resting on pillows. I did not recognize him immediately because he had a distinct and distinguishable triangular head.
As I took a more focused look, I realized it was sir Gersalia. He looks gaunt and has emaciated from a brain surgery. But he was conscious and we were able to talk. He said that surgery removed half of his skull. It would be replaced back to its location after 6 months. In the meantime, they had to store the skull somewhere. This they did by creating a pouch on the side of his abdomen, placing the skull inside, and stitching it close. I could see a bulge on his side that pouch created.
The right half side of Elpidio’s head is contained by soft skin which has now started to grow hair. But the skin alone is not capable of maintaining the full shape of a round head that his left half side still had because the skull on that part is intact. This is what gave him the appearance of a somewhat triangle-shaped head.
We all posed for posterity as we handed him a check for P40,000.00. He was in tears. He had heard that efforts were being made by his permanent employer, the Sorsogon National High School, to assist him. But he was touched by the fact that we were the first to come to his help. We all shook hands and I sealed that moment forever in my mind with a quiet prayer.
The key to immortality is living a life worth remembering. Thank you for all of you who helped me in our efforts to do something for Elpidio. Mabuhay kayo!
