Kyle Weckman’s memory lives through Kyle’s Playroom

CEBU, Philippines - To celebrate the first death anniversary of their son, Kyle Julian Gullas Weckman, parents David and Jackee Gullas-Weckman yesterday led the inauguration of the newly-renovated Pediatric Oncology room of the Perpetual Succour Hospital's Cebu Cancer Institute.

The Weckmans financed the renovation of the room, which is now called Kyle's Playroom.

"We just want this day to be a celebratory moment rather than what it was last year. We want to associate September 12 as a day to celebrate Kyle's life. We don't want to think about the bad things anymore," Gullas-Weckman said.

The Cebu Cancer Institute's Pediatric Oncology room is a treatment room and playroom for kids who are chronically-ill and have cancer. It is managed by Kythe Child Life Program.

Mary Anne Alcordo-Solomon, president of the ICanServe Foundation, who is a batch mate of Gullas-Weckman at the St. Theresa's College, recalled that the idea to sponsor the renovation of the room came after their batch celebrated their homecoming last July with kids with cancer.

Solomon introduced Gullas-Weckman to the Kythe Child Life Program after finding out that she wanted to do something for Kyle, who loved children.

"Kyle made himself felt that this has to be done," said Solomon, adding that Kyle showed signs to push his mother to go through with the plan.

She added that it was a coincidence that the font used in Kythe's brochures looked like Kyle's penmanship.

"It was a sign we have to read, a sign of celebration of life. Kahilakon man gani ko ganiha pagkakita nako," Solomon said.

With the renovation, Kythe Child Life Coordinator Shalom Rea Bernales said that the 26 patients who come to the center for treatments will no longer feel afraid because the room is designed to look more like a playroom rather than a treatment room.

"Dili na mahadlok atong mga patients to come here sa treatment room. With the renovation, they will think of the place as a happy place," Bernales said.

Kythe Child Life Program is designed to alleviate the anxiety of pediatric patients and their families faced by the challenge of hospitalization. It aims to help children and their families cope with illness and hospitalization and at the same time promote optimum growth and development of the child with an illness. — /QSB (FREEMAN)