“I prayed hard for the Lord’s help and always believed there is power in prayer. Then this miracle happened (of finding St. Luke’s),” Gavino said. “God works in miraculous ways.” Linda Gavino planned to move to the United States from the Philippines to be with her daughter, but in October 2023 doctors discovered colon cancer. While exploring treatments, she also noticed something unusual about one of her breasts. However, surgical fears and worries about moving kept her from asking questions. Early in 2024, Gavino could not ignore the changes in her breast. She did not have insurance and was not…

“After the war started, in the city where she lived in the south part of Ukraine, the situation was not so bad. Unfortunately, the day before Easter, she was in her apartment on the ninth floor, when a bomb exploded [pictured] between the third and fifth floors. While pregnant, she needed to run from the ninth floor, and her husband was not home at the time. There was smoke everywhere. She couldn’t see. When she made it outside, she saw a lot of people injured. Some were dead—even a three month old girl died. There were broken cars and fires…

“I’ve known about Catholic Charities since I got to Orlando in 2002. I have been back a few times since then. Two months ago, we were short on money because of the economic situation right now. I needed to send money to my parents because my mom is ill, and my husband is disabled. He gets some insurance money, but it’s not enough, so I have two and half jobs. I was short and unable to pay the electrical bill, so I needed some help. I work hard, and I pay my bills. I’ve asked for extensions because it’s hard,…