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Lorin Bektas marks 21st birthday with outreach for children with cancer
Lorin Bektas, Ruffa Gutierrez's firstborn, turned 21 recently and she marked her birthday in a meaningful way.
On Instagram, Lorin posted snaps from her birthday outreach for children with cancer in collaboration with the non-profit organization Kythe Foundation.
"Cancer is a cause that hits particularly close to home so it was incredibly meaningful to work with [Kythe Foundation] to give back to children who have fought it with so much bravery and strength," she wrote.
The 21-year-old also expressed her gratitude to the Kids for Jesus Foundation for volunteering and helping organize the outreach.
In her post, Lorin shared photos of the heartwarming birthday letters the children made for her.
The outreach also featured food stalls for the kids, with various treats like cotton candy, hotdog, nuggets, French fries, and more.
Per Lorin, they prayed, played games, gave groceries and hygiene kits to the children and their families, as well as distributed raffle prizes.
"Their liveliness and joy that I experienced on this day has moved me forever, and I hope we were able to give them happy memories and a good time, as they deserve nothing less," she said.
She then enjoined her followers to "integrate service into your life and find a way to give back to a cause of community you feel strongly for."
She also thanked her loved ones for showing up to the outreach and volunteering with her.
"I am so glad we did this together and I'm looking forward to a lot more work being done in the future because it doesn't end here!" she said.
The Gutierrez family recently lost their family member, Alexandra Joelle "Alexa" Uichico Gutierrez, who passed away in late July after a battle with leukemia.
Alexa is Ruffa's sister-in-law through her brother Elvis. Former schoolmates, the two tied the knot in 2015 and have two young daughters.
Earlier, Ruffa greeted her eldest as she turned 21. Aside from commending Lorin for her dedication to school, helping the community, and being a wonderful person, she also advised her to focus on her career.
"May you continue to make us proud. Thank you for filling our lives with love and lots of laughter. Career muna bago ang love, k?" said Ruffa.
Aside from Lorin, Ruffa also has another daughter, Venice, with her former husband Yilmaz Bektas.
— CDC, GMA Integrated News
