A Gen Z cancer warrior shared how P-Pop Girl Group BINI helped her during her fight against cancer.
On TikTok, 26-year-old Porscha Margarita Nicolas, showed a glimpsed of her cancer journey including her life as a “Bloom.”
“Having cancer for six years, I felt like all of my dreams have been taken away from me. And I felt like I don’t have much time left. When I heard the song ‘Karera,’ na-inspire talaga ako dun. Kasi ‘di ba sabi nila, huwag magmadali. Everything has its own time It inspired me na to keep fighting. It gave me another reason to live,” she said in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR/LatestChika.com.
According to Porscha, she was just a “newbie” Bloom, and it was the music and personality of the eight members: Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena that struck her the most.
“It was, that was in March 2024 when I first discovered them. I first heard about them because my cousin was listening to their music in the car. Eventually, dahil palagi ko napapakinggan parang medyo na-hook na rin ako. And then, nakikita ko na sila palagi sa social media, sa feed ko, sa FYP ko. I got hooked dun sa sa BINI core videos nila,” she said.
Adding, “It was their personalities that brought me in. Parang these are such genuine people and like humorous people and then I got to know their story kasi ako parang nahohook ako sa sa mga artists kapag nalalaman ko yung story behind their other music their art and them.”
It was in 2018 when Porscha was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer in the lymph system.
After graduating college at the University of Santo Tomas, she wasn’t given a chance to enjoy her life.
“I graduated Communication Arts. Fresh off graduation, parang I had so many dreams, I had so many plans of what my life was gonna be. Tapos, all of a sudden, hindi mo ine-expect na something like that could happen and it would change your life like in a snap na parang there’s no going back once that happens to you,” she said.
She had undergone different cancer treatments that tested her body and faith. In 2019, she was in cancer remission.
“It took a while din to completely recover before I started to go back to normal life. But after that, the pandemic happened. I was trying to get my life back on track, may global pandemic naman and parang everything else is parang nahinto ulit. That time, 2020, I got sick again. It became sort of a cycle in my life na parang, I start to get better. I try to pursue my dreams again. Pursue, like, what I want to do in life. And then, I get sick again,” Porscha emotionally recalled.
She then underwent another cycle of chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. During this time, BINI became her anchor to surpass another yet challenging health emergency.
Said Porscha, “Happy pill ko talaga sila na especially nung time na nasa hospital ako na mag-isa lang. Kasi there was a time na isolated lang ako sa hospital. So, I would watch their past lives, their vlogs. Tapos, nakaka-good vibes lang kasi. Nakakatulong din sa akin ‘yung mga message nila na, ‘never give up and like everything happens for a reason.’”
“’Yung music nila nakaka-uplift kasi eh. When you look into the meaning of their song. In general like most of their any content that they put out are really really entertaining and parang nakakatulong siya na nakakalimutan ko ‘yung nararamdaman ko like even for a short period of time, nadidistract ako. Even my doctors know that I’m a big fan of BINI, so even they agree na sobrang laking help sa treatment ko na BINI,” she added.
She first saw the girl group live in Baguio last July 6, 2024. For the second time, she was able to watch them perform during the Grand BINIverse on November 16, 2024.
“I got emotional at one part during the show kasi nung nasa hospital ako a few months ago, ‘yun talaga ‘yung motivation ko na mananood ako ng Grand BINIverse. ’Kailangan mong magpalakas, kailangan mong magpagaling kasi mananood ka pa ng concert.’ So, being there na, in person na nandun ako, napapanood ko na sila, parang nag-sink in sa akin lahat. Ito na, ito na ‘yung matagal mo na hinihintay, matagal mong pinaglalaban,” she stressed.
Porscha’s TikTok video showing her short but sweet interaction with BINI went viral on social media, sharing that it felt surreal to talk to the girls.
“Nag-comment si Jhoanna at si Stacey dun sa video. It was so nice to see them and sobrang genuine ng reaction nila. I just had to let them know na, what they’re doing is changing not only the music industry but, you know, they’re changing people’s lives, they’re saving people’s lives including mine,” Porscha said.
