As the yuletide season arrives, it is quite easy to make out the details of a fat old man in a red suit, ringing ho ho ho, with a sack of gifts hanging on his shoulder, and while his left hand strokes his beard. He is here for the kids, not for the naughty but only for the nice.
Yet, Santa Claus is not the only one who can give gifts to children in Christmas. A renowned actor, Gardo Versoza, chooses to be a Santa Claus of his own – without the suit and beard.
Through Cupcake Bikers 143, an organization he founded, he was able to make an 11-month-old boy’s Christmas really merry.
Troy Terrence Legaspi has cervical meningoceles – which are “tethering lesions of the spinal cord that may cause biomechanical injury with repetitive flexion-extension movements of the head and spine” according to the Human Pathology website.
At such a young age and with such a small and fragile body, Troy has to undergo an operation to prevent an infection and neurological deterioration.
Through charity bike rides by Cupcake Bikers 143, Gardo and its members were able to successfully raise funds for Troy.
Gardo made his visit to Troy on the 24th, as he captioned on an Instagram post, “Maligayang pasko po sa inyong pamillya lalo na kay Baby Troy mula po sa (Merry Christmas to your family especially to Baby Troy from) Cupcake Bikers.”
Not only did the charity raise money, but their deed was able to give a greater gift and that is the gift of a better life for a child.
The over 6,000-member-organization has raised funds not only for sick children like Troy, but has also given scholarships to those children with parents who could not provide for their education.