Allan: Not By Sight But By Vision

“… the man was born blind in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
John 9:3



Allan: Not By Sight But By Vision

“… the man was born blind in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

--John 9:3

RAYMOND ALLAN SAN PEDRO GONZALES was born on August 2, 1986. He is the fourth in the family of five sons. His parents had been hoping for a baby girl but their initial disappointment was nevertheless overshadowed by his angelic looks and picture of pink health. Among his siblings, Allan stands out by possessing prominent good looks even at infancy.

The joy his parents felt turned into worry when they noticed something quite unusual with Allan’s eyes a couple of weeks after his birth. He was immediately brought to his pediatrician who suspected he had some sort of congenital cataract. His parents were then advised to consult an ophthalmologist, which they obligingly followed. After seeking second opinion, his parents had to accept the sad truth that Allan had bilateral retinoblastoma, or cancer of both eyes.

At 45 days old, Allan had to have his left eye enucleated. He also had to undergo treatments to save the other eye even if the sight could no longer be spared. He underwent radiation, chemotherapy and cryotherapy as well as two major operations.

When Allan was 4 years old, his parents made the very painful decision of having his remaining eye enucleated after a series of unsuccessful treatments as they ran the risk of having the cancer cells spread through the brain if they refused to follow the doctor’s recommendation. Allan’s condition started to improve after both his eyeballs were gone. Except for regular check-ups, all treatments were stopped. This gave a bit of relief to his parents, not only emotionally but financially as well. Except for the lost sight, Allan appeared to have a sound mind and able body. At age 11, he was declared cancer-free by his doctor.

When Allan was 2 years old, he started to show musical inclination. He seemed to love playing with the piano along with other musical instruments. He started singing at the age of 6 and was later enrolled in piano lessons at the age of 9. His teacher would send him home with a recording of a musical piece that he would later try playing on the piano. He would then come back to the teacher and play the piece. The teacher would correct flaws, if any, on his rendition. Later on his parents would also enroll him to voice lessons.

When he reached puberty and his voice started to change, Allan took a break from singing but continued with his piano lessons. After finishing his high school studies, he made the decision not to pursue a college degree. Fortunately, he decided to pursue what he is most passionate about -- music.

Though sight-challenged, Allan is blessed with a light heart and a good spirit. He is not only a remarkable musician with a special gift for his instrument, but is also blessed with a natural voice. He has inspired everyone around him with his quick wit and delightful attitude. Through him people see God’s awesome goodness and greatness.

Today, Allan’s greatest passion is his music. It is his vision to be able to share the joy of his life and music with a greater number of people. Allan continues to train professionally to pursue this dream. He is now into jazz piano improvisation and voice.

He currently teaches the Junior Choir of the church he grew up with, the IEMELIF Cathedral Church in Tondo. The church has been instrumental in giving strength, hope and joy not only to him but to his family as well. Allan is also a member of its Prayer and Praise Team and an officer in the youth organization.

Allan said, “God created me like this to show others that it is possible to do things that one thought was absolutely impossible”.

---

YouTube links:

You and I


Beauty and Madness

---

Here is Allan on Facebook. Become a Fan!

***