Naantig ang damdamin ng mga netizen sa ibinahaging Facebook post ni "Cathy Sanchez-Babao," anak ng premyadong aktres na si Caridad Sanchez, sa naging pag-uusap nila ng kaniyang ina.
Ayon kay Cathy, hindi niya inaasahan ang sasabihin sa kaniya ng ina. Ang batikang aktres kasi ay may "dementia."
"Mom gave me an unusual welcome today," ani Cathy sa kaniyang Facebook post noong Agosto 13.
"When we arrived, she pulled me close and hugged me very tight. She held me for what felt like an eternity like she didn’t want to let me go. It kind of scared me. Afterwards then she grabbed me by my right arm and pinched me so hard. What a grip! Although it hurt so much, I took it as her expression of joy over seeing us today."
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Dahil sa kondisyon, paminsan daw ay iba-iba ang pagtingin sa kaniya ng ina.
"Sometimes mom thinks we are sisters, or that I’m her best friend. Occasionally, I’m still her daughter and she will call me by my childhood nickname, Kate. I’ve always said that in the dementia journey, it is only the mind that malfunctions but never the heart."
"Today over lunch, as I sometimes do, to help jog her memory, I asked her who I was in relation to her, wondering if today I would be daughter, sister, or BFF. 'What are we? Who am I to you,' I asked her."
Sagot daw ni Caridad, "She looked me straight in the eye, in between bites of her favorite JT’s inasal, she replied, 'Love. You are love. I love you very much.' I got so choked up. It was an answer that I did not expect. I held back my tears and said, 'I love you too, mom.'"
"The journey of loving and caring for a parent or a loved one with dementia is never easy. There’s a reason why it’s called the long goodbye. I believe that God in His infinite wisdom and goodness, grants us grace filled moments to soothe the heart to help us carry on," dagdag pa ni Cathy.
Nagpasalamat naman si Cathy sa magagandang salita at suportang ibinigay sa kaniya ng netizens na nabagbag ang kalooban sa kaniyang mga ibinahagi.
"Thank you so much for all your hugs and comments on this post. They are all deeply appreciated. Will try my best to respond over the next few days. ❤️ God bless you all for your kindness and thoughtfulness!"
Ayon sa World Health Organization (WHO), ang dementia ay isang term "for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities." Kadalasan umanong naaapektuhan nito ang mga senior citizen na nasa edad 65 pataas.
2020 nang ibahagi ni Cathy ang pagkakaroon ng dementia ng kaniyang ina. Na-diagnose daw ito noong 2015.
