Young teacher sells artworks to help save a friend’s life

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Regine Joy Ganut, 22, is helping sell a close friend’s personalized cartoon drawings to raise money for the operation of another friend and college buddy.

The Talisay City native said that her friend Hannie was diagnosed with pituitary macroadenoma, a benign brain tumor composed of glandular tissue growth that is larger than 10 millimeters, in July this year and is scheduled to undergo an operation in October.

Wanting to help fund the cost of Hannie’s operation, Ganut got together with another college buddy, Clai-Clai, to sell the latter’s artworks. All proceeds will be given to Hannie.

“My friend, Hannie Empaces, is diagnosed with Pituitary Macroadenoma (a kind of benign brain tumor). If not treated as soon as possible, she will become blind. Us and her other circles of friends are raising money for her surgery and medicine. Her date for operation is (in) OCTOBER, and we are trying to get as much money as we can,” Ganut posted on her Facebook page on September 8.

“All of your payments will be made as donations for her cause, and will be greatly appreciated. Thank you (thanks),” she added.

Ganut finished Special Education (Sped) at the Cebu Normal University (CNU) in 2017 and now works at the St. Benedict Childhood Education Centre.

It was during her stay at CNU where she met both Clai-Clai and Hannie.

“Hannie is my college block mate and very close to my heart since we spent most of our vacant times in the school library or in our classmate’s boarding house. She is an achiever, a bubbly and very quirky kind of friend. You’ll never see her frowning. She’s kind and always willing give help.”

Ganut told CDN Digital that Clai-Clai is an artist who does personalized cartoon drawings to fight boredom.

She said that Clai-Clai would normally do portraits and flower sketches on short sized bond papers using black pens and black markers. Sometimes, she would also sketch on notebook covers.

Ganut said that Clai-Clai’s artworks sell from P50 to P100.

After knowing of Hannie’s sickness, Ganut said that Clai-Clai volunteered to save earnings from the sales of her artworks to help in Hannie’s operation.

Ganut said she is helping Clai-Clai sell her artworks to their social media friends but will be happy if it will reach those outside of their own circle.

“Hannie, (is) like most of us, who just started to embrace adulthood, has a lot of opportunities and dreams to catch. I am positive that God will be with her in this journey,” said Ganut.

Through her social media account, Ganut is asking friends and netizens to patronize the personalized cartoon drawings that she is helping sell and her earn whatever amount that she and Clai-Clai could raise for Hannie’s operation.

Cebu, let’s be one with Regine in her crusade to use art as an instrument in extending her friend’s life. You can reach Ganut through her Facebook account Regine Ganut. | dcb