Crystal Magtoto

Crystal Faith Magtoto was born on December 2, 2011, in Los Angeles, California.  She returned to the Lord on June 12, 2023 at the age of 11 years old.  Throughout her short but beautiful life, she fought her diagnosis of Trisomy 18 longer to the amazement of her doctors.  She is survived by her mother Colleen, her father Chris, and older sister Cristen. 

Trisomy 18 Journey

I want to tell you about Crystal’s story - “Every moment spent with Crystal Faith is special!”

Imagine your child being called ‘Incompatible with Life.’   Imagine being told she won’t live long - one year at the most.  Imagine being sent home from the NICU with no equipment - only with the admonition to prepare for a child’s funeral.  Imagine that despite it all, with God's benevolence, your child gives you 11 years of a beautiful life. 

Crystal was diagnosed with full Trisomy 18, a genetic condition that affects how a child’s body develops and grows.  Trisomy 18 can affect anyone, and its name comes the  condition that occurs when a person has an extra copy of chromosome 18, which is random and unpredictable.  When my mom was five months pregnant, my parents found that Crystal had abnormal cysts in the brain normally linked to birth abnormalities such as Trisomy 21 more commonly known as Down syndrome.  Amniocentesis, a procedure that has risks and may harm the baby, was offered to find out and decide whether to keep or let Crystal go.  Their hearts were broken to pieces, but they knew to trust God.  Without hesitation, they decided to keep Crystal regardless of the outcome.  The beginning of their journey involved a lot of grieving and waiting, and quickly turned into a joyful, life-changing experience.

Every life is precious and that’s what Crystal Faith has taught us.  God allowed us to experience His power and sovereignty over any obstacle we faced.  He taught us what unconditional love is all about.  He showed us the strength and determination we thought we didn’t have.  As a family, we might not agree with the fate of Crystal, but it is God who has a perfect will and purpose for everything.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” – Romans 8:28

We hope that her story will encourage us all to remain in faith and in prayer for all things,  as well as strength and comfort during difficult times.  Furthermore, we hope that her journey and story will inspire us to cherish our God given life, and the lives of our loved ones who are still around.  We know that this is the most difficult experience of our lives yet also the most rewarding!  We love you Crystal Faith, our precious angel from God.