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Cathy Babao, Grief Counselor, Seeks Early Awareness of Illness
MANILA – A long goodbye.
Cathy Babao, daughter of veteran actress Caridad Sánchez, overcomes this sentiment after her recent revelation on social media that the beloved movie icon is suffering from dementia.
Sánchez, who turned 87 last August, was diagnosed for the first time in late 2015, according to Babao.
“She remains physically strong. There are good and bad days, but paulit-ulit siya, ”she told ABS-CBN News Friday, citing the pattern of forgetting and repeating yourself.
Anticipated pain is what Babao calls his current emotion. “It’s a long goodbye. Over time, you slowly lose the person. Just prepare for it. ”
The irony is not lost on Babao, an eminent grief counselor and educator, who transformed the loss of her 4-year-old son Migi in 1998 into heart disease in a lifelong service to ease the pain of others who lost your loved ones.
Babao has realized this: more than the fear and ignorance of other people on the subject, he says that the moral thing to do is to talk about it to provide a light to others who are going through similar pain.
Above all, he cites the importance of overcoming the stigma of the disease.
“Why keep it a secret? Hindi naman nakakahiya if we can help others on their journey. I know there are other families who are going through it but who don’t talk about it. Kaya nga dapat can be detected early, made aware and accepted, so that we can arm ourselves with the right information and access to the right medications and care. I think my mom will also be happy knowing that she could help in some way, ”he said.
The flow of comments and reactions to her reveal has been overwhelming. “Both heartbreaking and heartwarming,” he told us. “It took me a long time to write about this considering my mother’s height, but now that it’s been public, it’s been liberating!”
Babao had previously posted this on Instagram to acknowledge and honor his feelings.
“Shortly after her diagnosis, I picked up Lisa Genova’s book ‘Still Alice’ in an attempt to better understand what was to come. Tears ran down my cheeks as I read the last few paragraphs.
“You are so beautiful,” Alicia said. “I’m afraid of looking at you and not knowing who you are.”
“I think even if you don’t know who I am one day, you will know that I love you.
“What if I see you and I don’t know that you are my daughter and I don’t know that you love me?
“Then I’ll tell you yes, and you will believe me.
“And that’s why I write.”
“Today I was thinking how when my dad died suddenly at age 49 of a heart attack, I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.
“To tell him all the things I wanted to say to him, to tell him what a great father he was and how grateful he was for everything he had taught me and done for me. I have done this countless times over the years through my writing, in my head, and in prayer.
“So now, perhaps, Father is giving me the opportunity for a long goodbye with my mom. To say all the things I need to say, take care of her and love her. That thought somehow comforted me. Because throughout this long goodbye, even if the moment comes when he no longer remembers me, I hope that he continues to feel the affection and love. After all, the heart always knows and never forgets ”.
Babao continues to document his mother’s journey in #caringchronicles #thelonggoodbye. With October declared National Mental Health Month, he continues to work from home hosting grief counseling and counseling webinars. He also hosts his own YouTube show on Fridays, “Conversations with Cathy.”
I hope your long goodbye to Caridad Sánchez is full of unforgettable memories between mother and daughter.
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