Cathlene Quizon: It started when I was in… I was a sophomore. I started feeling tired all the time. I couldn’t concentrate on my studies. They thought I had anemia, but then it was last 8th of January last year when they said I have end-stage kidney failure.
Voiceover: Cathlene Quizon was your typical teenager. She loves spending time with her friends and family and was focused on her education. But once she was told her kidneys were failing, her life changed completely.
Cathlene: There were a few times where I wish I could’ve went out with my friends, but I couldn’t because I was too fatigued for no reason. Some people would tell me “Why are you so tired? You haven’t even done anything.” But they don’t get the condition that I have. I feel pain in my bones, my feet are always tingling. It feels like I’m being electrocuted. As soon as I started getting sick, my grades started to fall down.
Voiceover: But although she was in constant physical pain, there was one thing that was giving Cathlene strength.
Cherry Ann Quizon: We have our worship service on Tuesdays. Since we’re only five in choir, I keep saying with her that “you can stay at home instead and relax…”. But then she would say, “No, mom. This is my duties. One of my duties.” And then “I have to do this.” Even in choir, when she’s crying because of in pain, no you can’t stop her in performing her duties. Because of her situation, though she’s sick, it helps us to stand firm in our faith that though she’s sick, but still, she can do everything inside the Church.
Cathlene: And I continue to perform my duties because I knew that God will continue to be by my side even if I perform.
Voiceover: Cathlene remained devoted in attending worship services and performing her duty in the choir. And as she became a source of inspiration, two close friends would hear about her situation and make a significant impact on her life.
Albert Dasalla: My wife and I, we found out about Sister CK’s situation through social media. And when we found out that she had kidney failure, we were shocked of course. We thought, “Wow, she’s still very young.” She’s got her whole life ahead of her and she’s got a lot to give still to God and to the Church. So we thought, “ Wow, what a terrible thing for all of that to be shot down and to be taken down because of a kidney failure.” We feel God moves us for a reason. We decided let’s go ahead, let’s get tested. Let’s see if either of us are eligible to be a kidney donor. I happened to have the better kidney and I happen to be in good condition to be a kidney donor candidate.
Voiceover: Albert was excited to help out but the risks involved were still on his mind.
Albert: The chance that everything could change. If you lose one kidney and you have problems later on, God should take me in this procedure, that’s something very heavy that we had to look at also.
Cathlene: Usually it takes at least a year for someone to receive a call or a match, even. Some even take years, but for me in my case, I didn’t have to look anywhere else. I didn’t have to wait for that call to come.
Voiceover: It’s been several weeks since her surgery and Cathlene is doing well. As a member of the Church Of Christ, she was blessed with a unique gift: the love and concern of her fellow brethren especially of Albert who risked his life to help a sister in faith.
Cathlene: Yes, it’s right here. His kidney is right here. I saw how there were always all the messages like “God bless” and “Get well soon” and of course I felt thankful and I felt really blessed because even though they don’t know me, they wished me well and everything. Especially for brother Albert ‘cause I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. Most especially our Almighty God.
Albert: The good things those are obvious. You’re helping a sister out. She’s gonna live her life a little better. Like I said, she has offices in the Church. Her life’s just getting started basically and she has so much more that she can do and she’s gonna do great things in her life.
Cathlene: The biggest thing I just learned was to just trust in God, have faith in Him. I don’t really dwell on the problems that I face in my life because I know that God wouldn’t put me in that situation if I couldn’t handle it.
