This is no internet rumor. I know the people involved, and the tragedy is real.
There is a paypal account near the bottom for donations.
Please pass this along to those who might care to help.
Thanks for reading.
— Steve Sullivan
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To our friends —
Please pass this around and help if you can —
Our closest friends have heard of MICHELLE CALANOG PRINCIPE.
But you haven’t heard the rest of it:
Michelle works in the comics industry abroad and is quite involved in many of the comics being published. She manages Glass House Graphics Asia and Studio Sakka, a creative agency and manga studio, respectively, coaching and guiding dozens of artists and colorists across the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, and even India. What’s more, she oversees bunches of free seminars each year, bringing in experienced talent to teach hopeful young artsts about the comics biz.
Among her talent roster: Bong (Star Wars) Dazo; Carlo (Hulk) Pagulayan; Stephen (Wolverine: Manifest Destiny) Segovia; Lui (New Terminator) Antonio; Noah (Red Sonja) Salonga; Patrick (Avengers/Invaders) Berkenkotter; Harvey (Avengers: The Initiative) Tolibao; Jonathan (Battlestar Galactica) Lau; Anthony (Bratz) Tan; Wilson (Wolverine Manga) Tortosa, Tina (Space Ace) Francisco, and plenty of colorists for Marvel, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Dabel Bros., and so on.
She’s also been a comic book character. Michelle is the sister of Jinky Coronado (artist of TokyoPop’s Avalon High series and writer/artist of her own series Banzai Girls). Michelle has been a character in every issue of Jinky’s comic book. And the two of them even appeared together in FHM Philippines. So Michelle’s overall ties to the comics industry go pretty deep.
Married at the beginning of the year to her college sweetheart Rhene Principe, Michelle had a baby exactly one month ago. That should be cause for celebration, and it was. But within 12 hours of taking home newborn Reinee, Michelle found him not feeding and unresponsive. Back at the hospital, doctors discovered what they thought were blood clots in his brain. A catscan and surgery further revealed them to be inoperable deposits of calcification in his brain. Soon they also learned the baby had multiple hernias — intestines pushing through muscle walls — and areas of bowel that were not processing food. Young Reinee went through four weeks of painful surgeries, spending nearly every day in ICU.
Born September 26, 2008, Reinee Jaden Principe died today, October 26, 2008. But every mother’s worst nightmare HASN’T ENDED.
Although Michelle and her husband emptied their savings account on hospital expenses, and Glass House’s head honcho David Campiti and Jinky Coronado (they are married) have each donated thousands of dollars toward Reinee’s medical expenses, the hospital wlll not release Reinee’s body to Michelle for burial until she pays the remaining $9,000.00+ in medical costs.
What’s more, they now have funeral expenses to worry about.
Jinky is trying to help her sister to raise the remaining money. Help from anyone — a dime, a dollar, $10, whatever — is greatly needed in a hurry, and appreciated. Michelle and Rhene need to bring some closure to their heartbreaking situation and, literally, put him to rest.
She has set up a PayPal donation Email specifically for this — [email protected]
For any generous individuals donating $1,000.00 or more, Jinky will illustrate and personalize a custom cover-quality illustration of whatever characters they want.
Your help for Michelle and her family is appreciated.
— David
