Filipino American Grandpa on Life Support

In Tagalog, Bayani refers to a person with extraordinary courage or bravery. My grandpa, Bayani Sevilla, lived up to his name every single day.

Along with my grandma, he bravely immigrated to the US to help raise me and my siblings, while my parents worked tirelessly at their blue collar jobs. He picked us up everyday after school. He gave us money every Christmas with what little he made as a janitor. He was a kind soul from the province who lived a simple life.

We were expecting him to happily retire in the Philippines this year, to reunite with the rest of his children and grand children, while awaiting dual citizenship to make the process easier due to the pandemic. But on Friday, April 2nd, he was tragically hit by a car while standing by himself on the sidewalk. He walks with a cane, so he had no way to run from the crash. Instead of reuniting with our family, he is in a coma. Both sides of his brain are injured, so it is very-likely that he’ll be in this vegetative state until his last days. His health degrades every day. He cannot stand, talk, or open his eyes.

We are fundraising for any unexpected medical costs or, if needed, a funeral. He has no 401k or life insurance. The funeral would include a viewing, casket transportation to the Philippines (if possible), my mother’s transportation to the Philippines (if possible), and the ceremony. We want to reunite him with our grandma at our family burial plot in the Bulacan. 

Please help us honor my grandpa’s memory.