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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 14th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2011> Angel of Guam–Natasha Leon Guerrero Perez
live with a miracle, spread love in Guam
      Natasha Leon Guerrero Perez, the tenth excellent student of High School Department of Guam female school, who was born in Guam on October 21 st, had suffered from osteosarcoma when she was ten. She underwent eight big operations, and 129 chemotherapies . She held a brave, strong and optimistic attitude toward her disease, writing down each life poems of “welcome to the bright side of life”, encouraging herself and others to treasure every day people live. She went far to Rome to accept the blessing of Pope John Paul II, went to Philippine for spiritual healing, went to Michigan and New York to have chemotherapies and surgical operations, and went to Indonesia to have sabbatical days. Natasha meanwhile fought for a healthier environment for Guam residents. She used her own experiences to persuade all senators and people in different working areas to support Tobacco Control Law. Natasha continued to fight until June 9 2006---the day she died of illness. People were touched by what she had done and all senators at first time passing the law without objections. Furthermore, in order to praise Natasha for her love and braveness, Tobacco Control Law was renamed to Natasha Protection Act.
 
 
Welcome to the brightness
      Natasha had fought with the bone cancer for five years. When hearing the authority—the office director of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Paul Meyer say that Natasha's disease had become a multiple bone metastasis, and her body no longer had any reaction to the therapies, Natasha hugged her mother with extreme calmness and rubbed her mother's tears. She soon wrote down the poems of “welcome to the bright side of life” to encourage herself and others.
      Her mother told Natasha, “As planned by God, you might go to the heaven one step earlier than Mommy.”
      “Mommy, I don't know why people take death so seriously? When I open my eyes, I saw you. Then, when I close my eyes, I saw God. So, why to be afraid?” replied Natasha.
 
 
Natasha Protection Act changed Guam
      Natasha had suffered from osteosarcoma. Although she underwent chemotherapies, surgical operations and physical therapies, she was defeated by the multiple metastases into some important organs, such as lungs. The cancer cells metastasizing into the lungs made Natasha very sensible to smoke. That's why she missed the one-year therapy period in New York ---not only because she was a little gourmet, but the public space there, especially restaurants, was all smoke free. In contrast, Guam , where she was living, had smoke permeated everywhere. To those who had pulmonary diseases or respiration problems, having and enjoying a meal without smoke was too hard to imagine.
      Natasha asked her mother, “ New York can, why can't Guam ? “
      Therefore, under her mother, Jini's strong support, Natasha launched out to restaurants, schools, churches, and clubs to make a speech for Tobacco Control Law, appealing residents to make Guam a lovely smoke-free island. What she did touched the country. Senator Lu Lyon Gurello, who used to be a nurse, firstly echoed the proposal. However, due to the disagreements of those benefited through tobaccos, the divided two groups of senators had a confrontation.
      Natasha didn't mind how much she still had, she decided not to waste time at the hospital. Under her mother, Jini's strong support, she sat on the wheelchair and got on the ambulance, and showed up on every public hearings of Smoke-free registration processes. She shared her experiences through love, which made a stir in the states and touched Guam . It was the first time that all Guam senators stood up and passed third reading of Tobacco Control Law on June 9 th , 2006. Unfortunately, Natasha passed away that day. To praise Natasha for her love and braveness, the law was formally renamed to Natasha Protection Act, signed by Guam governor, Felix P. Camacho and became effective since August 6 th , 2006.
      Natasha's love of guidance of legislation changed Guam as well as the world.
 
 
The bosom friend of Tao Yuan-ming, the angel of the world
      Natasha, Guam , October 21, 1990 to June 6, 2006.
      Tao Yuan-ming, Chinese, 365 to 427.
      Tao Yuan-ming would never expect that, 1625 years later, one of his bosom friend would be born in Guam .
      To be more surprised, Natasha understood Tao Yuan-ming'love, life and thoughts.
      Tao Yuan-ming's three poems, Body, Shadow and Spirit, emphasizing the philosophical thinking of Monk HueYuan---“body gone, spirit remained.” Diverse from Tao Yuan-ming's thought, Natasha had her own one. Tao Yuan-ming believed that, the relationship between spirit and body was “attached when alive”, emphasizing that spirit relied on the body. People alive had nothing to delight or fear. They should let it go naturally. Accept death and don't be too worried.
      Natasha agreed to Tao Yuan-ming's view on life, but didn't agree to what Tao Yuan-ming said “live without joy or fear”. Natasha believed that strength was learned after undergoing fears and meanings exist because of joyful lives.