Grammy-winning crooner Michael Buble has given his grandfather's home as a gift to the Filipina healthcare worker who cared for his relative. Minette looked after Buble's grandfather for eight years, up until his death in December 2018.
Caregiver Minette's elegant new Vancouver home was first built by Buble's maternal grandfather, Don Demetrio Santanga, 50 years ago. It was then renovated extensively by the Home singer and 'Property Brothers' Jonathan and Drew Scott as part of Celebrity IOU.
The reality show features celebrities who renovate and then give properties as gifts to people who have had a major impact on their lives, with Brad Pitt, Jeremy Renner and Rebel Wilson among the stars who have taken part.
In his episode, which was released last week, Buble reveals he wanted to fulfil his grandfather's dying wish by taking care of Minette.
"My grandfather, his greatest wish was not just that this house was kept in the family but that this would be your home because he loved you so much," the singer told the caregiver in the episode.
Buble, 44, said Minette had given years of service to his family, all the while sending money home to her family in the Philippines. So, while the caregiver made a visit back home to the South-East Asian country, the singer worked with the Celebrity IOU team to overhaul the '70s home.
“My grandfather went from a little bit resentful [about having a nurse] to absolutely becoming one of her best friends, and she became family almost instantly," Buble recalled in the episode.
“Here was this really compassionate, kind empathetic human being with a great sense of humour, a great zest for life, who sort of never did anything for herself.
“I think my grandpa would be thrilled knowing that we could maybe lessen the burden a little bit in allowing Minette to continue helping her family without it being so hard on her.”
Buble had told Minette he was filming a documentary about himself and his grandfather, in a ruse to get her in front of the camera.
Stepping in to the renovated property, the Haven't Met You Yet singer simply told the healthcare worker: "Welcome home."
Minette, who said she normally did not cry, was brought to tears by the gesture.
“It is so much, really, really so much," she said.“I have no words right now. It hasn't sunk in yet. It's beautiful, beautiful.”
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There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
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