A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Like an artist using different pigments to create a striking portrait, SHEILA ROMERO seamlessly combines inspiring acts of service with the transformative power of art to create meaningful experiences

Sheila Romero’s giving heart continues to inspire and help those in need

Sheila Romero hands me a catalogue before we begin our interview. It lists the pieces donated to this year’s “Benefit,” a collaboration between her foundation, iWantToShare, and Salcedo Auctions’ Gavel & Block. We briefly talk about the portrait printed on the cover— an expressionist painting by Emmanuel Garibay. “This painting fetched a record price of 1.9 million pesos. That’s my working budget for one ward,” she says, referring to the chemo-isolation ward of the Philippine General Hospital’s (PGH) Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Department—one of iWantToShare’s major beneficiaries since 2016.

“God’s hand played a significant role in this—He orchestrated great things to happen. Now, we have more funds for other needs of the children,” the founder exclaims.

FOSTERING HOLISTIC HEALTHCARE

Since the inception of their partnership with PGH, iWantToShare has espoused a holistic approach to help the patients in the ward. For instance, while certain treatments and medicines are readily available at PGH, other medical services need to be acquired in other hospitals. In both cases, the foundation covers the costs incurred. Any transportation or logistical expenses are also taken care of. “For any parent, taking care of a child with cancer is already challenging. Balancing this with other family responsibilities makes it more stressful,” Sheila says. “In a way, our foundation assures them that there are ready solutions and actionable steps for their child’s concerns.”

Sheila also notes that quality time is a crucial part of the kids’ healing journey. For this purpose, iWantToShare has invested in child caregivers for the wards. “These caregivers help the patients feel at ease before undergoing chemotherapy,” she explains. “By playing and talking to the kids, they provide much-needed psychological comfort and encouragement.”

CURATING A MEANINGFUL COLLECTION

With the needs of the children at PGH at the back of their minds, the members of iWantToShare poured out all their efforts to make the auction a success. Compiling the artwork, jewelry, timepieces, and gowns took three months of reaching out to various galleries and artists. “The auction is essentially my birthday project,” shares the art collector, who held the auction last July 20—three days before her birthday. “Normally, before your birthday, you want to be relaxed, right? But there I was, hard at work. It’s my way of giving back, of expressing gratefulness. I would not have done it in any other way.

The auction also featured ten special paintings by patients who participated in the foundation’s art therapy classes. Each portrait sold benefited both the child-artist and another fellow patient in the ward. Sheila highlights this as a great example of the transformative power of art. On one hand, children are empowered to pour out their soul in works they can proudly call their own. On the other hand, art aficionados appreciate the paintings and purchase them, helping more children in the process.

CREATING A CULTURE OF GENEROSITY

Aside from “Benefit,” iWantToShare also organizes meaningful events for the children and their families. These include “Shine”, a prom night-inspired fundraiser event where kids get to walk the runway in designer gowns and suits donated by her friends from the foundation; and

“Joie de Vivre”, a ceremony that celebrates the children’s “graduation” from chemotherapy.

Sheila shows me photos from last year’s Joie de

Vivre. “Here, we had 120 children who graduated from chemotherapy. This year, we’ll have around 100 kids,” she enthusiastically shares. She directs my attention to a specific photo—a child and the family holding up a tarpaulin. “Look at what is written: ‘No child too small, no battle to big.

Fight like a kid.’ That’s courage. These kids are courageous enough to battle cancer. Young as they are, they teach us adults that if they can conquer life’s greatest challenges, we can surmount our personal trials too,” she says.

Sheila recalls one such child. “In one of our events, one of the kids who delivered a testimony said, ‘ang iWantToShare Foundation po, nakatulong po sa amin. Ipinakita po sa amin kung paano ang tumulong. So, ang gusto ko ngayon, tulungan ang ibang mga bata na may kanser.’” This child now spends quality time with the kids at the ward, giving music lessons and helping out with art therapy. “She’s like an ate figure providing counsel and comfort” Sheila says. “It’s inspiring to see how her gratefulness toward the foundation overflowed and manifested in giving back to the kids.”

PAINTING A VIBRANT FUTURE

Moving forward from their biggest fundraising event to date, Sheila and iWantToShare will continue to take on bigger challenges. The foundation is looking at creating a more spacious chemo-isolation unit, an air-conditioned play area, and an out-patient blood extraction unit to accommodate and take care of more patients. “On top of making the wards fully functional, we also want them to be more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing,” says Sheila. “When treating a disease like cancer, you want to make sure that all the needs of the children—physical, psychological, mental, and spiritual—are met.”

With the help of generous friends, Sheila’s vision will soon become a reality. “We have pegs and renders already! We’re looking at a hotel-like design. I even have an architect friend who pledged to design the ward. Another friend promised to provide the beds and cabinets. More foundations want to do more projects with us. There are so many exciting things to look forward to.”

As we end our heartfelt conversation, I get to understand that Sheila and iWantToShare champion a more nuanced sense of giving back. More than donating money and material possessions, dedicating one’s quality time for service and creating precious moments are paramount to spark significant inspiration. As iWantToShare creates more avenues for children and benefactors to share meaningful experiences, more people will definitely be able to paint a bright, joyful, and optimistic future.