Angel Aquino penned an appreciation post for her daughter Thea recently, following her graduation from college.
On Instagram, the 49-year-old actress apologized to her youngest child with ex-husband Ian Bernardez for all the years that she did not "fully trust" that she'll ever see the latter's commencement ceremony.
"Your doctors said to be ready for the worst: speech, movement, comprehension are all challenged and may not even come; that you might stay in bed your whole life," Angel related.
"Yet we kept on going, with no rush and no pressure- each day, each year, one school, one milestone at a time," she added. "Look where you took me today. We’ve gone miles from that bed, haven’t we?"
Angel thanked Thea for being "unlimited, undaunted, unafraid."
The proud single mom of two told Thea: "Your indomitable spirit powered through thea. That is your gift from God. Don’t ever lose it."
As for her realization? Angel talked about how life is "half fate and half you."
"Half blessings and half hard work. Grateful that my daughters are way better people than me," she said.
Recall that in a previous interview, Angel opened up about Thea having to contend with hydrocephalus when she was born.
"Ako bilang mom 'yung bigat sa puso, sa damdamin, sa isip. Pero I can't imagine what she went through. 'Yun nga noong pinanganak ko siya na hydrocephalus buti na lang medyo naka-work na ako noon so we were able to support the operation. Pero kasi nag-recur 'yon when she was 10 years old so mas mahirap," she recalled in an interview on "Magandang Buhay."
"You just have to keep your faith and you have to be strong para everyone around her is strong also," she added. "Minsan nga parang, sana ako na lang. Laging ganoon na naiintindihan ko lang 'yan ngayon na mommy na ako."
According to Mayo Clinic, hydrocephalus is the "buildup of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain. The excess fluid increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid normally flows through the ventricles and bathes the brain and spinal column."
Aside from Thea, Angel and Ian has another daughter named Iana.