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Zoe Means Life →
I just found that a new and dear friend of ours, Zoe Inciong passed away last night. I'm deeply saddened and inspired in so many ways. We've only met Zoe a few times, but her very being and strength as a 15 year old fighting Ewing Sarcoma.. is truly an inspiration.
I received an email back in September 2011 from a friend of a friend of the Inciong family, leading me to the blog entry of Zoe's mom, Maria. And in this blog, Maria mentions that Zoe is a fan of AJ Rafael and hopes to meet him one day. We finally got to make it happen in December 2011.
Since then Maria and I have kept in touch especially as Zoe's 16th birthday was coming closer and we wanted to see if AJ could visit Zoe during her trip to Disneyland from Make-A-Wish Foundation or perform for her birthday party. Scheduling wise we couldn't make it happen, until AJ called me the night before the party to tell me he was going to make it. It was an amazing moment we can't ever replace to see Zoe's reaction, and to feel the love of all of her family and friends.
Meeting Zoe is one of those things in life that really are meant to be. And even if we met her for a few moments, we are so much more honored to have met her. Zoe not only reminds us of the kind of impact music has on a person's life, but she's allowed me to take a step back and just remember the impact of human life. Many of us today have all lost someone to the battle of cancer, and I myself try to remind myself every day that one of the inspirations for working in the industry that I'm in today - is because of my best friend who passed away from Lymphoma Cancer. (Blog link)
We can find inspiration in Zoe, in all of our loved ones who have battled cancer, those who are battling it today, and most especially in the family and friends of those with them all the way.
God bless you Zoe. You've touched my heart in a way that changes and motivates me. Thank you. My prayers go out to Maria, Randy, Teo and the rest of the Inciong family. God bless you all.
AJ on ASAP!
AJ - Without You
AJ:
My Godfather, "Kuya" Frank, passed away last October after a 4-year long battle with cancer and it struck a familiar feeling in my gut. My Dad passed away when I was 10 and the reailty of losing another father figure really hit me hard.
I wrote this song not about a death or losing someone to an illness, but about wanting to be with someone so bad that you couldn't go another day without them— but this song spoke differently to my Kuya Frank's wife Ate Rhea. She told me that she listened to this song as if it was Kuya Frank singing to her, fighting for her, and wanting to be there for her through all of this. Thus, the original concept for this video was born and it stuck in my head— and I pray that this video helps you realize that you are not alone in your struggle, whether it is you or a loved one going through it.
Don't forget to let your loved ones know that you love them"¦ We never know what tomorrow might bring.