They lost their only child in less than 24 hours after bringing him to the hospital
Dubai-based Filipino couple Walter and Roxy Sibug mustered up the courage to share how they lost their one-year-old baby Luther Exekiel to COVID-19. In a Facebook post last August 7, Roxy shared an album of photos of what transpired a few days ago.
Hoping that their unfortunate experience will save lives, she posted, "My son is completely healthy. Hindi nagkakasakit, pero sa isang iglap nawala siya samin (He doesn't get sick, but, in a brief moment, we lost him)."
News5 was able to interview the couple via video call with Roxy who is still positive with COVID-19. She recounts that her husband started having fever last July 25. They thought it was a simple fever so they didn't think of getting a swab test since he works from home.
In another interview with Unang Balita, she revealed that it happened on July 31 with their son experiencing fever up to 39 degrees Celsius. They brought their son to the clinic where the health workers asked the couple if they had themselves tested for COVID-19 which they highly recommended them to do so. Roxy told Unang Balita that Walter had symptoms of headaches and fever for one week before Luther followed suit.
They were asked to go home. And with the help of vitamins and medicines, his fever subsided. But the swab test results came out positive for COVID-19. "Nung umpisa, walang nakikitang kakaiba kay Baby Luther hanggang sa namaga ang mga mata at naging maputla. Dinala siya sa ospital at doon nakita na mabilis ang kanyang heartbeat. Umabot daw ang virus hanggang sa paligid ng kanyang puso (At first, we didn't see anything different with Baby Luther, until his eyes started getting swollen and his skin started becoming pale. We brought him to the hospital and that's where we saw that his heartbeat was beating too fast. The virus had reached the area surrounding his heart)," she recounts to News 5.
"Kumuha ako ng kumot. Kahit bawal, kinumutan ko anak ko dahil wala siyang damit kasi punung puno siya ng aparato (I got a blanket. Even if it wasn't allowed, I covered my son with the blanket because he was naked and he was covered with apparatus)," Roxy told Unang Balita while crying her heart out.
Luther was intubated right after, and the couple was asked to go home. But a few hours after, they were called back because Luther's blood pressure was going lower. They tried reviving him but it was too late. "Nasabi ko pa sa doktor doon, mainit pa anak ko, mainit pa siya. Maisasalba pa nila. Tapos lumuhod po ako sa mga doctors at cardiologist. Sinabi ko kunin na ang puso ko ngayon (I told the doctor then. My son's body is warm. He's still warm. He can still be saved. I even kneeled down to ask the doctors and cardiologists. I told them to take my heart now)," crying as she relayed what happened to News5. "Namaga puso nya. Wala pa pong 24 hours, 15 hours palang kinuha na po siya sa amin. Lahat ng medicine na binigay sa kanya, wala pong tumalab na medicine sa kanya (His heart was swollen. Not even 24 hours... in 15 hours only, he was taken from us. All the medicine that was given to him didn't work on him.)," she says in Unang Balita.
"Imbes na makasama namin siya sa huling sandali nya dito sa mundo, hindi namin siya makasama. Nasa morge siya, naninigas, nilalamig. Wala syang kasama. Walang kumot doon. Wala kaming magawa (Instead of us being together with him in his final moments, we couldn't be with him. He is in the morgue. His body is stiff and cold. He doesn't have anyone with him. He doesn't have a blanket. We couldn't do anything)," she tells Unang Balita.
It has been hard at home for the couple. Still in isolation since Roxy is COVID-19 positive. They lost their only child. "Bawat pikit ng mata, siya yun nakikita namin. Bawat galaw namin dito sa bahay, ganun kami tino-torture. Grabe yun pain na niraramdaman namin (Every blink of an eye, he's the one we see. Every movement we make here at home has been torture. The pain is unbearable)," Roxy says on video call with Unang Balita.
The video interview ends with Roxy hoping that all the parents will learn from their experience. "Kung mahal niyo anak niyo, mag ingat talaga kayo. Hindi pwede babaliwalain nyo ito, kasi hindi ito joke. Kapag nakaramdam kayo, kahit konting sinat lang, magpa-swab test na kayo please. Gastusan niyo, mas maganda gastusan niyo kahit sa magkanong halaga kaysa sa mawala mga mahal niyo sa buhay (If you love your children, take extra care. You can't not disregard this because this isn't a joke. If you feel something, even if it's just a slight fever, get a swab test please. Spend on it. It's better to spend now, no matter how much, rather than lose your loved ones.)"