Avelino. According to Google searches, it has Latin origins and is most associated with the word “Powerful”. But, what does it mean to my family and me? It has so much meaning and tragedy behind it. I am about to tell you the story of two Avelinos who defied the odds and paved the way for greatness.
My grandfather, Dr. Avelino Bactat Lim, was an extremely smart and charismatic man. He attended the University of the Philippines where he received his Bachelor’s of Law and Master’s in Public Administration Degree. Grandpa Avelino was a Fulbright Scholar and graduated from Syracuse University with a Doctorate Degree in Public Administration. Grandpa Avelino was an expert in Philippine Constitutional Law and wrote books in Philippine Public Administration and Taxation (Most notably “Recent Developments in Philippine Budgeting”). In addition, he was a professional lecturer in the Graduates Schools of the University of the Philippines, National Defense College of the Philippines, Lyceum and University of the East.
I wish I had the opportunity to meet him. However, he was only 46 years old when Coronary Thrombosis claimed his life. A week after he passed away, my grandmother told her children that he was going to be the newest member of the Philippine Delegation to the United Nations. He wanted to surprise the family with the great news.
My mother and grandfather were very close. She was “Papa’s Girl” and had him wrapped around her finger. My Grandpa Avelino taught my mom how to dance (Specifically, the Boogie Woogie) and my Uncle Samboy how to play basketball. He told Uncle Sam, who was his Junior, “To take care of my name because that is my legacy to my children.” Uncle Samboy went above and beyond: he made Lolo’s name famous and forever secured the name’s legacy.
My Uncle, Avelino Borromeo Lim Junior, was a famous, talented basketball player in the Philippines. One of his greatest basketball highlights was when he and the Philippine Team played against the US Team (Where Stephen Curry’s father was a player) during the Jones’s Cup Final. With his majestic sky acrobatics and Filipino teamwork, they won the championship. His famous nicknames were, “The Skywalker,” and “The Michael Jordan of the Philippines.” On October 9th, 2009; Uncle Sam was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame. However, a couple of years later, tragedy struck.
There was a PBA Legends exhibition game on November 28th, 2014. It was going well until Uncle Samboy collapsed on the ground. He was having a cardiac arrest. Because nobody performed CPR, he suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain for 23 minutes. For 40 days, Uncle Sam was comatose. When he woke up, he could not see, eat, breathe, or move on his own. He has been slowly recovering, but it will be a long road. American and Filipino doctors say that Uncle Samboy would be up and about if someone performed CPR on him.
Uncle Samboy’s CPR case would prompt the Philippine government to create CPR training laws. Recently, the “Samboy Lim Law” has been passed. Basically, it requires Filipino students to undergo CPR training before high school graduation. What happened to Uncle Sam also inspired my CPR advocacy in the United States. Not only does Uncle Samboy leave a mark in Philippine basketball,, but he also has a legacy in saving lives with the Samboy Lim Law.
Uncle Samboy is and will always be my favorite uncle. My favoritism does not come from his fame; it comes from his humbleness and kindness. He is one of the nicest souls you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.
When I was six years old, I was elated to visit Disney World, and I knew it would be the best time of my life. Imagine meeting your favorite Disney Princesses. Imagine riding spectacular rides. Imagine being in,”The happiest place on Earth.” Well, it would have been, “The unhappiest place on Earth,” if my Uncle Samboy was not there. His kindness and genuineness made me love spending time with him. He was, as quoted from Lee Harper's "To Kill a Mockingbird", “The same in his house as he is on the public streets.” He also showed me some awesome magic and basketball tricks, and I thought he was the coolest. Most importantly, he saved my life. At the hotel we stayed at, there was a gigantic, exhilarating waterslide. I figured I would be okay on that slide since I just started my swimming lessons. But, I was obviously a novice in swimming. So, guess what happened? I went down the waterslide and almost drowned. But, guess who saved me? The person was my great Uncle Samboy. He came in like a knight in shining armor and rescued me from a horrendous fate. And for that I will forever be grateful.
As you can see, these two men in my family were gone too soon. However, they will remind me how important it is to be successful AND down-to-earth. One day, I hope my children will understand how important and prominent their great-grandfather and great-uncle were. If I have a boy, I will name him Avelino. If I have a girl, I will name her Ave. When they ask me, “Why did you give me this name?” I will answer, “Where do I even begin? It is a long story, but it involves two of our family’s heroes. And the most famous is Avelino Lim, Jr.”
