Servant of God Darwin Ramos was born on December 17, 1994, in Pasay City, south of Manila in the Philippines. He was born into the poorest of families, living in the slums of the city. There was no pre-school or kindergarten for Darwin, instead he and his younger sister scavenged trash heaps for things to sell so the family could eat. By the time he was 6 years old, the first symptoms of the disease that would take his life began to show. Darwin was afflicted with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease characterized by the progressive loss of muscle. 

When he was no longer able to use his legs, Darwin’s father took advantage of his son’s condition, dropping him off at the Libertad station to beg for money. Members of the ANAK-TnK Foundation, which works to care for the street children of Manila, began to talk with Darwin and eventually convinced him to live at a centre managed by the foundation with other children with special needs. 

At the centre Darwin received the kind of care his condition required, enough food to eat, and education. He was introduced to the Catholic faith and entered a special relationship with Jesus. Never brought low by the disease which attacked him daily, he now spoke of his illness as his “mission for Jesus.” Darwin was Baptized in 2006 and received his First Communion and Confirmation a year later. Those that knew him during this time were blessed with his ready smile and compassionate friendship. He was known as the Master of Joy.

Servant of God Darwin Ramos died at the age of 17, on September 23, 2012. Darwin was declared a Servant of God on November 7, 2018, and the diocese of Cubao (Philippines) opened the cause of canonization on August 28, 2019. Servant of God, Darwin Ramos, pray for us!