Netizens praised a mother for being selfless and a fighter as she takes care of her son with heart problems while battling stage 4 breast cancer.
34-year-old Mommy Nichole Licyayo is a living proof that a mother’s love is unconditional. Because despite being diagnosed with breast cancer with bone metastasis in 2024, she continued fighting and taking care of her son, Maxi who has a congenital heart disease.
“I have no time to process ‘yung condition ko kasi as a mom, focus ko talaga ‘yung anak ko.I’m ready to go home sa Panginoon. No problem with that. Pero ‘yung concern ko lang is, paano ‘yung anak ko?” she emotionally said during an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR/LatestChika.com.
“The type of breast cancer I have is invasive ductal carcinoma. Talagang, when my [oncologist] surgeon disclosed na, it’s cancer, I really burst into tears. Sabi ko sa doctor ko, ‘Doc, may anak ako na may sakit sa puso na disabled din siya,’” she added.
Mommy Nichole is a nurse by profession. It was in May 2024 when a doctor examined her and saw a lump on her breast. She then undergone different tests to confirm if she has breast cancer.
“Parang namanhid ‘yung buong katawan ko. Sabi ko, ‘Lord, is this really it talaga? Mamatay na ba ako?’ Hindi ko na po alam ‘yung next step na gagawin ko. In my mind, sabi ko, ‘Paano ‘yung anak ko ‘pag namatay na ako? Paano na ‘yung asawa ko? Paano na ‘yung family ko? And most of all, ‘yung money.’ Kasi sabi ko, ‘Hala, high maintenance na nga tong anak namin. Ang daming gastusin sa medical side, sa mga needs niya. And ako magpapadagdag pa,’” she recalled.
Adding, “We did proceed with the succeeding test. When I received the official result again of the PET CT scan, may kalat na sa spine ko na. Nasa upper back, lower back, dito sa sternum or sa chest part, and then sa right femur or sa right hita.”
She admitted that she became afraid for her life after her diagnosis but took strength for her sick son and husband to continue fighting the disease.
Since hospitals became their second home after her son was diagnosed with congenital disease and undergone open heart surgeries, she explained her condition to her son, Maxi.
“Alam po niya [Maxi] na may sakit ako. So, whenever I go to the hospital, sinasabihin ko siya na, ‘Mama will have injection, medications.’ Pero hindi niya alam, hindi pa niya naiintindihan ‘yung gravity ng sakit ko,” Mommy Nichole said.
She has undergone radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
“Right now, what we’re doing is we’re living one day at a time. I’m making a lot of good memories sa family ko with my son and husband and my loved ones. One thing na na-realize ko rin po kasi everything is out of our control or my control. When the time na sinurrender ko lahat sa Panginoon, that’s where the peace from my heart started,” she noted.
Mommy Nichole said that she is very thankful for her family and friends especially to her husband who held her hand in one of the most difficult moments of their life.
“‘Yung sa husband ko warrior talaga because he’s been taking good care of me and ‘yung anak namin.There are days when I feel low and not motivated. Thank you for being my husband and the father of my son. Thank you so much for taking good care of us. So, whatever happens, talagang lalaban tayo at walang susuko din,” she noted.
