‘Talagang ang hirap’: Single mom stays strong for daughter who is battling leukemia

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“Ako po ay isang solo parent, talagang ang hirap. Pero ‘yung bata, lumalaban. Wala kang rason para hindi lumaban sa laban na ito.”

A mother who is raising her sick daughter alone couldn’t help but become emotional as she shared their journey.

Mommy Elaine Justine De Leon was just 21 years old when she got pregnant with Baby Zoe.

“‘Pag graduate ko po ng college, nabuntis po ako. Bali maayos naman. Newborn screening ko [ni baby], normal po din,” she said.

When Baby Zoe was one year old, Mommy Elaine and her partner got separated. Since then, she raised her daughter alone while juggling her full-time job at a fast-food chain.

In October 2023, Mommy Elaine noticed something on Baby Zoe’s health.

“Nagsuka na siya ng dugo, nag-poopoo na siya ng dugo. Nagkaroon po siyang mga bugbog sa katawan. Hindi na siya naglalakad. Almost three months po siyang hindi naglalakad,” she shared.

Baby Zoe was confined in the hospital in November 2023 after they consulted the specialists and even spent Christmas at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to internal bleeding.

“Talagang bumaba na talaga ‘yung blood counts. Dapat maging handa po kayo.  Sinasabi po ng doktor. After po, marami pong donor, marami pong dugo na nag-transfuse sa kanya, mga platelet na kinakailangan po,” she said.

The toddler stayed in the ICU for 18 days. It took a while before the doctors diagnosed Baby Zoe with blood cancer.

“Ang nilagay po na diagnosis po nila is infection lang po sa dugo. After nun, April 2024, nagmo-monitor kami, nagpapa-checkup kami, monthly, hanggang January to March,  walang palya,” Mommy Elaine noted.

“Doon na po gumuho ‘yung mundo namin, talaga. Di mo alam kung anong iisipin mo, anong pagkakamali, anong kulang ang nangyari? Naging pabaya ba tayong mga magulang?” she emotionally said.

Even if it was hard, Mommy Elaine held on to her faith that one day, her daughter would be cancer-free.

“Hindi naman po tayo pinapabayaan ni Lord, nandyan po siya araw-araw at parati po tayo bini-bless. Nagtiwala po ko sa Panginoon at lahat po ‘yung sinurrender ko po sa kanya. Kung ano pong plano niya po sa amin na mag-ina,” she stressed.

She also expressed gratitude to all the netizens that helped them sustain the medical needs of her daughter.

“Sa social media, maraming pong tumutulong na hindi namin kakilala.  Kung ano-ano po binibenta po namin para maitaguyod. Maraming nagmamahal sa anak ko. hindi namin kakilala. Minsan nga, artista pa eh. Kailangan ng pera kasi kapag wala kang pera mamamatay ‘yung bata,” she said.

Adding, “Kahit na nakakahiya, hihingi ako ng tulong sa mga tao para mabuhay lang ‘yung anak ko. Para ma-save lang po ‘yung buhay niya. Ganon po ako ka-eager na gumaling ‘yung anak ko, maging cancer-free po siya.”

Janelle Lorzano
Janelle Lorzano
Janelle Lorzano likes long walks on the seaside and listening to people about their lives. When she isn't writing, she travels and discover new places.

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