For 54-year-old Audie Alpas, a routine afternoon turned into a life-altering moment. On April 25, while on his way to pick up his wife from work—a daily act of love he had done for over a year and a half—Audie’s motorcycle collided with a car driven by a motorcycle delivery driver. The accident, which occurred in front of Verdana Homes Gate 2 along Daang Hari, left him critically injured.
Audie suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple physical injuries and was rushed into emergency surgery due to internal bleeding. Doctors had to perform a splenectomy and move him into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). There, he remained unconscious, showing only slight signs of response like eye movement and minor hand twitches. A CT scan later revealed he had also suffered an embolic stroke while hospitalized, further complicating his already fragile condition.
“It’s been a long and tough fight,” shared his daughter, Alyssa, during an interview. “Sabi ng doctor may chance (The doctor said there is a chance), but it will take time and a lot of rehab. We’re holding on to hope.”
The Alpas family—Alyssa, her brother, and their mother—have been emotionally and financially stretched thin. The cost of Audie’s ICU stay, medications, tests, and therapies has already exceeded one million pesos. With their mother still recovering from her health battles, including multiple strokes and a recent hospital discharge, the family had no financial buffer left.
“Watching over him in the ICU was traumatic. Something alarming would happen almost every day,” Alyssa recalled. “Once, he nearly flatlined. And when he was intubated, every time the nurses suctioned his tube, he would react and look like he was in pain. It broke my heart. I had to step outside to cry, so I wouldn’t show weakness to my family.”
Despite the grim reality, the family celebrated Audie’s 54th birthday in the ICU on May 17. They brought cake and food for the nurses. “He always had long hair, but before his birthday, he had a haircut. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot.”
Help came at the most critical time through the Calvin Ayre Foundation, which stepped in to ease the financial burden. “We are beyond grateful to the Calvin Ayre Foundation,” said Alyssa. “The ICU bills are no joke, and the help we received made a huge difference. It allowed us to continue his treatment without worrying about every peso. Calvin Ayre Foundation is a great blessing, and we are beyond grateful because, during hard times, the foundation doesn’t let us down.”
This isn’t the first time the foundation has extended a hand to Alyssa. She shared that the foundation had previously helped with her hospital bills when she underwent surgery for an ovarian cyst.
“That’s why I know how big their heart is. They really help people when it matters most.”
Even as they fight for Audie’s recovery, the family faces another hurdle: a legal battle. They have filed a case against the driver involved in the accident. Instead of settling, the driver’s lawyer filed a counter-affidavit seeking moral damages from the Alpas family. Now, they have to pay for a private lawyer, adding to the family’s growing financial strain.
“The stress is nonstop,” Alyssa admitted. “But we’re doing our best to stay strong. My brother, my mom, and I all have work. Once my dad is stable enough to be discharged, he’ll be brought to the province where relatives on his side can help take care of him.”
Doctors warned that Audie’s recovery will be slow and that he may need round-the-clock care, similar to that of a newborn. Still, the family remains hopeful.
“We’re not giving up. We just want him to get better. We’ll do everything we can,” Alyssa said.
For the Alpas family, and many others like them, the generosity of the Calvin Ayre Foundation is not just about money—it is about the gift of time, healing, and hope.
“Thank you so much to the Calvin Ayre Foundation for helping us in this situation,” Alyssa said with heartfelt sincerity. “You gave us a fighting chance.”