Yet through this difficult journey, what we are most grateful for is finding our Christian faith and experiencing God’s love firsthand. That love allowed us to smile with hope even in our darkest hours. It gave us a pure, resilient strength—much like a child who falls, brushes the dust off his knees, wipes away his tears, stands back up, and continues walking forward.
In the summer of 2022, surrounded by all the family who loved him so dearly, Ethier peacefully left us at home, as if drifting off to sleep.
Throughout his one year and ten months of treatment, what moved us most was that despite enduring immense hardship, his heart to love and help others never disappeared. Instead, it only deepened his desire to pass on the love he had received.
He experienced every single step of the treatment himself. He knew the pain of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. He knew the sorrow of losing his hair, the helplessness of being sick, and the disappointment of being unable to eat the foods he craved. Most of all, he knew the profound yearning to regain his health, to be free from treatments, and to simply live, go to school, and play like other kids.
Yet it was precisely through these trials that he deeply felt God’s love. He experienced the hope given by God and the strength that accompanied him through every agonizing moment.
And so, a simple thought bloomed in his heart: “If other children suffering from cancer could experience this love too, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
It was a child’s purest wish. He did not merely long for his own healing; because he had been loved, comforted, and given hope, he wanted to bring that same blessing to other children. He wished that the love he felt could also touch the lives of other sick kids.
After Po-Yao left us, this sweet wish became the compass guiding us forward.
Scripture tells us: “And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” — Hebrews 11:4 “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” — John 12:24
We believe that although Ethier has passed away, the life he lived—one of trusting God, experiencing His love, and walking in faith and hope—continues to speak.
We also believe that the seed of love has not stopped growing simply because he left. It can take root in the life of another child, rest in a grieving family’s heart, and blossom in anyone who needs love and companionship.
May the love Po-Yao received throughout his life continue to be passed on. May that single seed take root, sprout in more lives, and bear the fruits of love.
A single grain of wheat, carrying on the life of love.
Rooted in Love Flourishing in Life