Friends holds ‘hot lunch’ fundraising for Iying

Friends and church mates of Ely “Iying” Wong are holding a hot lunch fundraising today at Saipan Community Church in Susupe to help foot his hospital expenses.

Wong recently went through a major surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City, the Philippines, following a near-death accident on Saipan in February this year.

Teresita Abe, a family friend of the Wongs, said yesterday that they prepared 400 hot lunches for sale today.

Each hot lunch costs $5.

People can buy and pick up hot lunches at the church parking area in Susupe.

“This is a fundraising event to help the family shoulder the hospital expenses. We want to support them and show them that we care, especially in this trying time,” Abe said.

The surgery, which involved the implantation of defibrillator, a device used to restore the heart’s normal beat, costs some $40,000 [P2 million].

A portion of the cost was shouldered by insurance while a big chunk, some $32,000, had to be shouldered by the family.

A MIRACLE

In an earlier interview, Wong’s wife Millet described her husband’s experience as “a great miracle from God.”

She said that her husband lost consciousness and was without heartbeat when he was rushed to the Commonwealth Health Center emergency room last February.

The doctor had warned the family that he may not make it through that night.

But he did. He survived the night and on the next day, he opened his eyes, to the amazement of his family and friends.

On the second day, he was able to turn his head and smile.

“It’s a miracle,” said Mrs. Wong.

She said she and her church mates kept praying and believed in his recovery.

“I was told that he may not make it. I was told that even if he recovers, he would be a vegetable. But I didn’t listen to them. I believed that he would be healed and recover,” she said.

She said that, although he was not responding, she would continue talking to her husband.

“I’d like to believe he could hear me. The doctor said, ‘I don’t think he can hear us.’ but I chose to believe in what God can do,” said Mrs. Wong.

She said she was touched by the outpouring of support from the community.

“When he woke up, that’s when I cried aloud. I was so overjoyed,” Mrs. Wong said.

She said several passages in the Bible sustained her during those times.

“I found this verse in Proverbs 3. ‘Have no fear of sudden death. The Lord will be your confidence,’” she said.

The Wongs have been living on Saipan since 1988. They have two children Rezne, 14, and El Nathan, 7.

The Wongs are into the wholesale business, selling dry goods from the Philippines, Singapore, and Japan.

Mr. Wong, 46, has been an active member of the Saipan Swim Club and other community activities.

He is currently recuperating in Manila and will be back on Saipan in six months.