05/22/2026
My Last Dance with Kiv, the 6-Year-Old Cancer Warrior
By Nancy Caluya-Nicolas
Executive Director, Adonai’s Mercy House (AMH)
Kiv loved to dance. During any gathering at Adonai’s Mercy House, he would be the first to run in front of the audience the moment he heard loud music.
Six-year-old Kiv Mithrandir Gante was so enthusiastic in his moves that he brought the room to life instantly. The obvious joy in what he was doing was so contagious that children and adults alike found themselves following his rhythm of pure, unbothered celebration.
Last April, during our “Harana” (serenade) event, things were different. I saw Kiv sitting perfectly still on his chair and simply watched the other kids dance. I approached him, knelt beside him, and asked if he wanted to join in. "I’m sick," he said, his small voice cutting through the noise. My heart broke. I opened my arms. "Would you like me to carry you?" He nodded, and I lifted his fragile body. With Kiv cradled against my chest, we walked to the center of the room and joined the others. For a few beautiful, fleeting minutes, we danced. He couldn't move his feet, but his spirit was right there, moving with the rest of the kids.
Yesterday, Jehann Tablando-Ong, the administrative officer of AMH, and I went to see Kiv to say goodbye for the last time. This is the hardest part of the job. Day-to-day administration, fundraising, strategic planning, and balancing budgets are demanding, but they can be managed with skill and patience.
Nothing, however, prepares your soul for the emotional weight of losing another child-beneficiary. Kiv is the fourth cancer warrior of Adonai’s Mercy House to leave us this year.
The funeral parlor where Kiv’s body lay was small, lacking any air conditioning. The room was hot and suffocating, yet it was packed to the corners. Karla, Kiv’s mother, saw me gazing at the mourners and explained, “They are all neighbors and friends. Kiv was really friendly. Everyone loved him.” As we sat together, Karla began to share the agony of those final days. The doctors had told them they couldn't leave the hospital; the cancer had metastasized aggressively, invading his internal organs—his spleen, his liver, his kidneys.
His little body was under siege. Yet, Kiv remained entirely his friendly, talkative self. He constantly expressed what was happening to him. He would look up at his mother and point precisely to where it hurt, naming the pain. Kiv never stopped talking, constantly chatting with the doctors and nurses who came to check on him.
But as time went on, he began to tire. Karla described the helplessness of a mother watching her child slip away. She remembered when Kiv started to struggle for air, complaining that he couldn't breathe. He pleaded for more oxygen, but Karla could do nothing but hold him. "Kiv told me he was just very, very tired,” Karla said. “And he was very, very hungry." He had fought with everything a four-year-old soul could muster. In the end, Kiv had simply run out of breath. He closed his eyes, finally free from the pain.
A Plea for Mercy and Support for Kiv's Family Kiv’s dance has ended, but what remains is the devastating aftermath for the family he left behind. Beyond the emotional weight of losing a six-year-old son, Karla and her husband, Ian, are facing the reality of funeral costs and final medical expenses. We invite you to extend your hand of mercy to Kiv’s family during this dark hour. Your financial gift will go directly toward covering their funeral expenses.
To support Kiv’s family, and other children who are battling cancer, please visit our donation portal at www.adonaismercyhouse.org.
Thank you for ensuring that even when the music stops, the rhythm of mercy carries Kiv’s family through.
