Mother of Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy victim speaks for the first time, says they have been forgotten

In his room at a care facility in Vancouver, AJ Sico sits in a wheelchair surrounded by his mother and aunts. He makes the peace sign and seems to be in high spirits, but not every day looks like this, according to his mother, Jhosie Sico.

For the past seven months, AJ has been in recovery after being one of the victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party tragedy in April that left him with life-altering injuries.

“It’s so hard as a parent, as a mom, especially since I raised him,” said Jhosie. “He seems to go back to being a child. It feels like we’re back at the start. What I experienced when he was a baby is happening again today.”

AJ is Jhosie’s only child.

She tells OMNI News she’s willing to do anything, even if that means starting from the beginning, as long as she knows AJ is getting better.

“It’s hard for me, but I’m trying my best,” she said.

“I’m not allowed to get sick for him.”

Jhosie is a retired care aide who worked at a hospital for almost 30 years. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about AJ and her family’s journey since the tragedy.

She says she’s grateful to everyone who helps fundraise for AJ’s recovery; however, she says she’s disappointed in Filipino BC, the organizer of the block party where AJ was injured.

Jhosie says aid was given to them for the first three months since the incident, but it’s not enough to cover their needs as AJ’s recovery continues.

“It’s as if they’re ignoring what happened, that we’re left in a corner,” she said.

“They said they have a 90-day mandate to help victims. Is that right? My son was in critical condition for 90 days.”

In an emailed statement to OMNI News, Filipino BC says governments must provide funding for sustainable support for the hundreds of people impacted by the tragedy on April 26.

The organization says the public’s generosity is not enough to fund the ongoing recovery of victims like AJ.

“This is especially true when victims share that core support through government programs is failing, leading them to rely mainly on Filipino BC and other Kapwa Strong Fund grantees,” the statement reads.

As for the Sico family, Jhosie says they’ve been covering most of the costs of AJ’s treatments.

“All the fundraising,” she says. “We don’t know where the money goes.”

Filipino BC says United Way BC has collected more than $2 million from public and corporate donors for the Kapwa Strong Fund, organized to support those impacted by the Lapu-Lapu Day Tragedy.

The organization says it has distributed the funds collected to more than 40 charities and has provided urgent and long-term assistance. They say information on the distribution of grants to organizations is available in the United Way BC Interim Report.

Next year, the City of Vancouver is planning to host a benefit concert or a memorial for those affected by the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy.

Jhosie says no one consulted her family about this plan.

“We were already victims, and it feels like we’re being victimized again,” she said.

“I hope they stop using what happened to the Lapu-Lapu event to fundraise.”

In a statement to OMNI News, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says that over the past several months, his office has “worked closely with Vancouver Police Victim Services to ensure victims and their families have access to support information and resources.”

“To be clear, the City has no role in directing or allocating funds raised by community groups or organizations. Those decisions are made solely by the fundraisers themselves,” he said.

“My office is still in conversation with some community partners about the potential for a benefit concert to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the tragedy in April 2026. Planning discussions are ongoing, and any further information will be shared in the future.”

It’s been months since the tragedy, and Jhosie counts what she considers little miracles that she sees in her son’s recovery, like when AJ poses the ‘I love you’ sign as someone takes his photo or when he smiles.

Jhosie says these are improvements; still, she holds on to hope that she’ll be able to hear her son speak again.

“It’s coming, one day he’ll be able to talk again,” she says. “Nothing is impossible, as long as we persevere, he’ll be able to walk again.”

She says their holidays are different this year, but she’ll continue to fight for answers and justice.

“I love him so much,” she says. “This fight is for all of us and for him especially.”

For now, Jhosie says she’ll continue to care for her son, a gesture to let AJ know that his family will never stop loving him.