𝙏𝙪𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙤𝙣, 𝘽𝙤𝙝𝙤𝙡 – During a visit to an ongoing desalination project in Bagong Banwa Island, Tubigon, Bohol, a local school faculty member approached the Tzu Chi volunteers to seek help for a young girl. It was learned that one day, while the girl and her family had previously resided in Cebu, the then four-year-old Cynderilla Sitoy was fetched by her mother from daycare and encountered a hit-and-run motorcycle accident while crossing an open road. A part of her face was torn from the accident, leaving a permanent scar on her right cheek. The injury made her right eyeball pop out and needed to be surgically removed to prevent affecting the other eye.
“I felt afraid and disappointed for my daughter. I have been blaming myself every day for what happened to her because I was not able to hold on to her and protect her that day.”, lamented Cynderilla’s mother, 29-year-old, Shelladen Sitoy.
“I heard it myself; people call my daughter ‘bulag’ (blind) and make fun of her when we were still in Cebu”, revealed Carsin Sitoy, 29-year-old father of Cynderilla.
Now at 9 years old, Cynderilla bravely endured being bullied by both children and adults for losing an eye and shared that she has always felt embarrassed around people. “Because of how I look, because I lack an eye”, she sadly said.
When the pandemic struck in 2020, Carsin lost his job as a housekeeper. To get the family out of their misery brought by a series of unfortunate events in Cebu, Cynderilla’s parents decided to bring her and her younger sibling to settle at Carsin’s hometown in Bagong Banwa Island.
This island is under the municipality of Tubigon in Bohol but geographically located near the Cebu province, with fishing as its main source of livelihood. Going there requires an hour boat ride from the mainland Bohol to reach the island, which has 340 families and a total population of 1,349 people (Source: Bagong Banwa Barangay Captain, Hon. Rochelle Abella Premacio). “For now, my source of income comes from helping my father make fishing boats. I get a portion of the amount my father receives, which usually takes a month to finish”, said Carsin Sitoy.
Moved by Cynderilla’s story, the Tzu Chi volunteers quickly arranged for her to see an eye doctor in Tagbilaran, who recommended fitting her with a prosthetic eye. However, upon hearing the cost of the prosthetic eye, the initial hope the mother and daughter felt suddenly faded into despair as they traveled back to the island, overwhelmed by the harsh reality of their situation.
Several days after, the Tzu Chi volunteers paid Cynderilla and her family another visit in the island, they observed how actively she participated in class. Her Grade 4 adviser, Ms. Lea Kagatim attested to Cynderilla’s involvement in class especially in Maths and other school activities. “We teach the children here not to bully others and to accept and make friends with each other.”, said Teacher Lea. Cynderilla who aspires to become a teacher someday, is the top one student in her class.
“It is my first time to experience this kind of case where the child went through such hardship and was judged at such a young age. Despite this, she carried on with her life fighting, and continued to pursue what she wanted to be. Fortunately, Tzu Chi stepped in and brought back her full smile again”, reflected Tzu Chi Youth Divine Joshua Bayotlang.
On October 19, 2024, the much-awaited Cynderilla’s fairytale is about to come true. Her real-life fairy godmother, Tzu Chi Eye Center volunteer Optometrist, Dr. Adriene Elizabeth Lim along with a staff nurse took an early morning flight from Manila to Bohol bringing with them Cynderilla’s prosthetic eye. At exactly 12:00 noon, Dr. Lim, fitted and placed the new artificial eye on Cynderilla’s right socket where there had been no eye for the past 5 years. The smile and happiness never left Cynderilla’s face that afternoon. “Gan-En Tzu Chi, Gan-En Master Cheng Yen”, was all that Cynderilla could gleefully utter.
“Aside from its aesthetic purpose, the artificial eye also serves as protection to prevent accumulation of cavities at the back part of the eye socket. Children with similar cases as hers are often bullied; they become insecure and introverted. Some grow their hair long to cover the part without the eye. Now she won’t be laughed at anymore”, said Dr. Adriene Elizabeth Lim.
And what’s a fairy tale without a knight in shining armor? Real-life knights, the Tzu Chi Uncles gifted her a pair of new slippers so she won’t go around the island barefoot anymore. She got to take home two more pairs of slippers for her two younger siblings as well.
“I would like to share to other parents going through the same difficulties to not lose hope and not give up on their children. Thank you to the Tzu Chi Foundation for giving new hope to my daughter. She won’t feel embarrassed going to school anymore.”, the grateful mother said.
Like Cinderella’s transformation at the ball in the classic story, this event marked a new beginning for Cynderilla, filled with possibilities to explore and dreams she aspires to achieve. Believing that good things come to those who are kind-hearted and patiently wait, Cynderilla found her happily ever after, while looking forward to a future of opportunities and optimism. The Tzu Chi Foundation continues to inspire and transform lives, proving that fairy tales can come true, even in the modern world.
