Pastor Eruke

Go Beyond Limitations!
Achieve beyond Disabilities!!

Reach Beyond Obstacles!! (True Story of Maricel Apatan)


This is a true story of a young woman who went through
the most gruesome fire. When you read her story, you’ll
realize that your trials are absolutely nothing compared to
what this young girl went through.
It was September 25, 2000. Maricel Apatan was an 11-
year old girl in Zamboanga. On that day, this little girl went
with her uncle to draw water.
Along the way, four men met them. They were carrying
long knives. They told her uncle to face down on the
ground, and they hacked him on the neck and killed him.
Maricel was in total shock, especially that the men were
their neighbors. She tried to escape, but the men ran after
her.
She cried, “Kuya, ‘wag po, ‘wag n’yo akong tagain!
Maawa po kayo sa akin!” (“Don’t kill me! Have mercy on
me!”)
But they weren’t listening. With a long knife, a man
slashed her on the neck too.
Maricel fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she saw a lot of blood. She also saw
the feet of the men around her, but she pretended to be
dead.
When they walked away, Maricel ran back home. But
along the way, she saw that both her hands were falling
off. Because the men hacked them too. She cried but she
kept running.
Sometimes, she would faint and fall to the ground. But
she’d regain consciousness and run again.
When she was near her home, Maricel called her mother.
Upon seeing her daughter, her mother screamed in terror.
She wrapped her bloodied child in a blanket and carried
her to the hospital.
Here was the problem: From her house to the highway, it
was a 12-kilometer walk. It took them 4 hours just to
reach the highway.
When they arrived in the hospital, the doctors thought
Maricel was going to die. But for 5 hours, they operated on
her. It took 25 stitches to stitch together the long knife
wound in her neck and back.
Maricel barely survived. And she lost both of her hands.
Ironically, the next day was Maricel’s birthday. She was
12 years old.
But tragedy didn’t end there. When they went home, they
saw their home was gone. It was ransacked and burned
down by the goons.
Being very poor, Maricel’s family also didn’t have P50,000
for their hospital bills.
But God sent many angels along the way to help them.
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, a distant relative, paid for
hospital bills and helped them bring the criminals to court.
They were sentenced to prison.

Today, she’s staying with the nuns at Regina Rosarii with
Sr. Eppie Brasil, O.P.
But this is the incredible miracle. Instead of staying down,
Maricel kept running.
Instead of cursing God why she had no hands, she now
uses her wrists in incredible ways that will boggle your
mind.

Maricel Apatan:

Maricel was cited as the most industrious, best in
computer, and most courteous in the School for Crippled
Children.
In 2008, she graduated from a course in Hotel and
Restaurant Management. She even received a Gold medal
for Arts and Crafts.
In 2011, she finished her education to be a chef. Yes, a
Chef without hands.
Nothing can stop this young lady from reaching her
dreams.
.
Go Beyond Limitations!.

Achieve beyond Disabilities!!

Reach Beyond Obstacles!!!

Pastor Eruke Taunu (PET)
+2348033693211
Twitter. @Pastor_Eruke
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