07/23/2026
“𝗛𝘂𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗸𝗮 𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝘁!”
In what can only be described as a moment of pure joy, Patient Olayvar uttered these words upon waking up from his surgery and seeing the doctors at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH). The Tagalog phrase “hulog ka ng langit,” translated to English means, “you are heaven-sent.”
During ESM programs, the doctor-volunteers of NOF encounter and manage a wide range of cases in the hospitals they visit. One such case was Patient Olayvar, a man in his 50s who was admitted at the UP-PGH. A lump had grown in his spine, leaving him unable to walk for many years.
Doctors Wayne Gluf, Gracie Garcia and UP-PGH Resident Dr. Sairon Jay Libit performed the life-changing surgery on the patient. After the operation, as soon as he woke up, Patient Olayvar remarked, ‘I felt really light!’ Moments later, he was so overjoyed with how the surgery went that he was all smiles, moving his arms, beaming and showing how much the surgery healed him!
For the NOF team, especially Dr. Garcia, the moment was deeply moving. “I have never seen a more grateful patient in my entire life! And this is someone who probably did not receive treatments. I remember thinking, ‘Wow! If I were somewhere else, the patient’s first words, I'm sure would have been ‘My neck hurts!’ Instead, this man was so grateful to everyone on the entire team, just nothing but gratitude.
We were examining the patient afterwards—me then Dr. Sairon. He was thumbs up all around then had a selfie with us afterwards! That was one of my most meaningful experiences, just interacting with that specific patient,” remarks Dr. Garcia.
