This post was shared by a fan of Life Vest Inside and a believer in kindness, Maria Lyka de la Fuente. Her post has touched me so deeply, I’m sure you will see why. Thank you Maria for opening your heart to the Life Vest Inside community and sharing your story; you are inspiration to me! “I was born with a congenital heart disease, my heart has a hole on it that causes an irregular blood circulation. My childhood pretty much involved frequent heart check ups and tons of Church pray-overs. When I grew a little older my cardiologists noticed that the hole actually got smaller! They “predicted” that it will close real soon and so my parents were relieved that my heart is already healed. I grew up being active in sports and in high school I wanted to join the C.A.T (Citizenship Advancement Training) which is a training program for Schools in the Philippines that aims to enhance the student’s social responsibility through active participation in community activities. This requires a certification from my doctors stating that I am physically fit to undergo the program. I went to my Doctor to have a check up.To my surprise, the doctor found out that the hole actually got bigger and he advised me to undergo an urgent heart procedure that is very expensive, which costs almost half a million pesos! My parents were distraught for they didn’t know where to get that huge amount until, several relatives and friends offered their help! Some strangers even volunteered to give a hand ! A good friend of my Kindergarten teacher found out through Facebook that I needed several bags of blood for the procedure and she volunteered to donate blood! I was so touched by all the people who offered their helping hand without asking anything for return. This inspired me to pass on the acts of kindness that i experienced to children in orphanages where I celebrate my birthdays and joyfully give 100 of children a happy meal! “What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the kind” ~Cleveland Amory   Maria is currently taking up B.S. Psychology in St.Paul University Quezon City and she is a member of several organizations that help contribute to social transformation. She believes that our world can be a better place if we start inspiring each and every person to move and take that very first step towards a kinder and more peaceful planet. 


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