PACQUIAO AND HIS CANCER-STRICKEN FAN IN CHICAGO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 08 Oct 2008
When Filipino ring idol and national treasure Manny Pacquiao attended a meet-and-greet Pep Rally in Chicago prior to his WBC lightweight title fight against hometown favorite David Diaz, a 78 year old fan who idolized Pacquiao but was stricken with cancer braved the hardships of travel and the crowds to get a glimpse of his idol who gave him a warm embrace.
Placido Dosdos would never ever forget that moment. It was an emotional encounter and although one American writer made fun of the encounter and ridiculed the healing powers of Pacquiao although the four-time world champion never made such claims, the undeniable fact is that Dosdos who was given up for lost some months ago is still up and about according to former MBS 4 News anchor and reporter Romy Sager.
In an email to www.insidesports, Manila Standard and Viva Sports, Sager reported that the 78 year old Dosdos, originally a Bureau of Customs employee from Cebu and the number one Filipino-American fan of Lightweight Champion Manny Pacquiao in Chicago, has a clear shot to cancer recovery.
Sager said ?the man now walks, albeit gingerly, without a cane, deep into ballroom dancing and improving appetite.? However, Sager reported that the journey to see his idol during a promo tour and media ?meet and greet? in Chicago last October 2, was ?punctuated with rests and stops, shortness of breath, runny nose, off and on cough under a nippy and early Fall weather.?
His daughter Georgina Jardine who accompanied the old man to the lobby of the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago blamed the cold winds for her cancer-stricken father?s problems that day.
?I told him we can just head back and have lunch elsewhere instead because I did not want him to push too much. But he refused to give up,? Georgina recalled to Philippine Weekly and Viva Sports.
Sager said Dosdos was rewarded ten-fold. Not only was he reunited and rewarded with a ?giant hug? from his beloved ring idol Manny Pacquiao since the duo?s first encounter May 21, 2008, but had a first-hand story from Chicagoan David Diaz himself on how he was knocked out by Pacman.
After the last opponent David Diaz, from whom Pacquiao wrested the Lightweight Championship crown, Father and daughter also exchanged pleasantries with Pacman?s future foe, Oscar dela Hoya at the Sears Tower lobby. The old man, who was earlier fighting for his life, was elated to be among the legends of boxing.
The chance to shake hands with his Filipino ring idol was a long shot ?because of the more than 100 reporters from other countries, fans and tourists at the Jackson (Street) entrance of the Sears Tower,? narrated the daughter.
In a conversation with Sager a gratified father and daughter recalled: ?When Manny came out from the press conference, there he got mobbed by fans, photographers, etc., My dad could not catch up with him because of the fans, bodyguards and others, until one Pinoy reporter shouted, as soon as Manny started to climb up the limo?" PARE..PARENG MANNY...HINTAYIN MO SI TATANG..." The crowd of fans was told to "STAND BACK" to let my father go thru the crowd and reach up to MANNY for a souvenir photo. He smiled at my dad and gave him a giant hug in front of the mad crowd of fans.
For the ageing, cancer-stricken Dosdos it was another touching moment thanks to the concern and compassion of his idol, Manny Pacquiao.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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