SURVIVOR’S TALE
Inspiring stories on life
(John Joco T. Matutina, 24, lives in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro and works at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).)
It was a cold and breezy night of September, at around 1 o’clock in the morning, when I heard a familiar sound which kept me awake throughout the night. I heard my mother coughing her lungs out. I vividly remember how exhausted and exasperated she sounded while trying to catch sleep. We actually thought that it was just a normal cough that can be cured by a simple ginger tea, as that happens occasionally from time to time.
But hearing her suffering made me anxious and uneasy, especially that we are currently under a health emergency. I had a hunch that it could be COVID-19, so we decided to schedule her for a check up on the same day. It was only then that we found out that my mom had pneumonia.
She barely manifested any other symptoms of COVID-19 other than cough, so the doctor dismissed us after giving antibiotics.
We voluntarily isolated ourselves from our relatives, to avoid possible transmission of the virus.
After a couple of days of taking antibiotics, nothing changed with my mom’s condition. She was looking pale and could not even eat her food. She was so hesitant to get confined because she knew that it would cost a lot.
That is a perennial problem that those who are in the fringes of society have to go through when getting sick. This leaves us with the only option of using herbal medicines and natural remedies because we simply cannot afford to go to the doctor. But this time, we insisted that she needed proper medical care.
When she got confined, the doctor immediately checked her and advised to have a swab test, which turned out to be positive. I was stunned and my body trembled upon hearing the result.
I saw my mom tearing up and heard her sobbing. She broke down not because she was positive, but because she was thinking of us, she was thinking of those who had close contact with her prior to that.
And then things got worse when I also tested positive for COVID-19, along with our other family members. I felt like the world was shattering and it was physically, emotionally and spiritually draining.
I started to experience several symptoms. I lost my sense of taste and smell. I had a fever and cough. During night time, I was chilling and my body temperature continued to spike up. All these, while looking out for my mom the whole night, and checking on her oxygen level.
The viral infection had taken a toll on my physical health. I pretended to be okay.
It also added another burden when my father had to be absent from work because he also tested positive.
Luckily, I am blessed to be employed in a government agency which allowed me to work remotely during those times.
I had to be strong, even when my own physical and mental health was deteriorating. Also, my savings was running out. Aside from all the other daily expenses, we also needed to provide P12,000 everyday to purchase a single dose of my mom's medicine. We also needed to settle the tuition fee of my sister who is in college.
I was thinking of where I can get other sources of income to provide for my mom’s medication and that of my other family members who were under strict home quarantine. The days passing by also meant our bill was piling up.
I was praying the whole time, asking for strength and courage to overcome everything. I held on to my faith in the Lord that He will never leave nor forsake us during those times. I know He was right there beside us throughout that journey. I had high hopes that He will provide us what we need, maybe not now, but sooner. I believe that He always knows the perfect timing.
It was very heartbreaking to see my mom in that kind of situation. But it pained me more to see her worrying about our finances. That is the additional quandary that we have to experience for being poor and middle class family. We don’t have the luxury to afford long term medication and to avail the best medical facilities to attend to our medical needs.
Good thing, the staff, nurses and doctors of the private hospital where my mother was confined were all accommodating and supportive throughout those trying times. They took good care of us and risked their own lives to help us recover.
We were so blessed to have an amazing support cast in our relatives, friends and colleagues. Maybe God answered my prayers through them. They loaned us money for our financial needs during those tough times, while some provided us meals and other needs during our stay in the hospital. Also, it was very important to have someone to talk to.
Despite all the hardships and the challenges, I am very much thankful because we have survived the virus and we are still alive.
We also experienced discrimination. Many times, we were shamed by our neighbors, friends and even our relatives. Even in my workplace, many looked down at me and dared to throw jokes about what I’ve gone through.
That affected me mentally, that I isolated myself from everyone else, and disconnected with most people for their own safety. But I understood that they were just being cautious for their own lives.
Though this experience was a bad nightmare, it still teaches us to be optimistic and be grateful. It was during those times that it was very important to focus on the good things and not dwell on the bad experiences. I believe that it was our faith in God that helped us get through everything.
This also reminded me why sunset is always so special –it reminds me that even if the sun sets, and the dark unfolds, the sun will rise again and shine again to start a new day. A new day which gives us another chance to live and love again.
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