NORFOLK, Va. — Jose Villegas and his wife of 26 years, Jackie, run in and out of the Manila Bread Shop on E. Little Creek Boulevard in Norfolk throughout the day.
The muggy, hot day in the city doesn't seem to bother Jose, since he spent more than half his life in the Philippines. The Filipino bread shop serves as a convenient stop for all Filipino products, but in the back, Jackie gets the dough ready to sell bread later that day.
It's a happy scene of a mom-and-pop shop coming through the shadows of the pandemic. However, the journey to get to this point in Villegas' life didn't come easy.
Back home in the Philippines in the slums of Manila, Jose said he still remembers the sound of rain tapping on his roof. To him, the rain was good. It let him know fewer people were out on the street, so he could leave his home to go for a walk or get groceries late at night.
"I only went out in the evening, so only few people could see me," said Jose. "I could enjoy my temporary freedom of being scrutinized."
Before Jose moved to Manila, he grew up on the Island of Negros. In his 20s, his mother pointed out a small bump on his chin. A doctor told him it was a benign tumor, which he tried to remove.
Shortly after the removal, the tumor grew back...and it grew quickly.
"When the tumor started growing like that, I was devastated. I hid myself, my situation to my family, my friends," said Jose. "I have five sisters. I didn't want to add more problems to them, so I was lying actually."
Jose moved to Manila where he kept the door to his apartment closed, afraid people would point out the tumor. He tried seeking treatment elsewhere, but doctors could not find a solution.
Jose studied to be a marine engineer, but because of his medical condition, he struggled to land a job. He resorted to other small jobs to make money.
Slowly, Jose lost hope of finding any help.
"I asked God to take me that night...I said, 'I'm really tired, God. I'm not angry. I just don't have the energy to go on.'"
Through song and prayer, Jose said he slowly gained back hope. He said he learned to appreciate the small things, such as the sound of rain or playing guitar and singing inside his small apartment.
Then, one night, Jose said he watched TV and saw an organization called "Operation Smile" was helping children and families suffering from cleft lips and palates in the Philippines.
Jose thought he could find help, but when he showed up, he realized he wasn't alone. Hundreds of other people, including children, also needed help much like he did.
He waited a long time until his ticket finally moved up in the numbers. That's when Jose said he met a young girl with ticket #89. She too had a tumor growing on her face.
Jose switched his #7 ticket with hers, so she could get help first.
He said not long after that, the founder of Operation Smile, Dr. William Magee Jr., learned about Jose's story. The doctor went to Jose personally and said he learned that he played guitar. Dr. Magee asked him to teach him one day how to play guitar, and a friendship formed.
Dr. Magee connected Jose to the right resources, but that meant having to travel all the way to Norfolk to get the best treatment. Jose always dreamed of traveling, but not in this circumstance.
After several different surgeries and days of recovery at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Jose finally reached a point where he felt like himself again after several years.
"It gives me that energy and a boost to say, 'Wait, there's always hope.' Being free from that tumor and the stigma of rejection and hopelessness and discouragement, it molded me, my character. After my surgery, I said I could face the world. I was willing to explore our world without limitation," Jose said.
He worked for Operation Smile for 17 years where he met his now-wife, Jackie. Then, Jose took over the Manila Bread Shop to run his own business and feel more independent in the community.
The couple has owned the shop for about 15 years now. Their son, Josh, helped in the shop growing up. You can even find his artistic drawings all over the shop where his proud parents put them.
Josh graduated from Regent University where he studied Graphics Design and Animation. Jose and Jackie said they want their son to explore the world with the life they built for him.
Jose said thanks to Operation Smile, he can now see his life happily and feel humbled every day he has his family.