Press Release - A Quezon City mother's resilience to overcome health challenges fueled by Bong's Malasakit Center initiative

The story of Lina Ampado, a solo parent from Quezon City, highlights the vital impact of the Malasakit Center initiative, a brainchild of Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, on delivering crucial healthcare assistance to Filipinos facing adversity. The Malasakit Centers marked its 6th anniversary this February 2024.

Lina, who single-handedly raises her 7-year-old daughter, Janila Pearl, battling cerebral palsy and confined to her bed since birth, shares her journey through the challenges of caregiving and the relief she found through the Malasakit Center at the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC).

"Sobrang hirap. Lalo na ako lang 'yung bumubuhay ... ako 'yung naghahanapbuhay ... ako 'yung nag-aalaga," she recounted, emphasizing the relentless effort required to care for a child with such severe medical conditions.

Janila Pearl's health complications began at birth, leading to a life-threatening situation that required immediate and ongoing medical attention.

"Nailabas ko siya ng normal. Nahimatay ako nung lumabas 'yung ulo niya, kaya siya naipit. Nawalan siya ng oxygen, kaya hindi siya nakahinga ng normal hanggang dinala siya sa ICU. Na-comatose siya," Lina recounted.

This initial crisis set the stage for an ongoing battle with health complications that left her daughter bedridden.

Despite the gravity of her daughter's condition, Lina's determination never waned. "Hindi ko tanggap. Kasi nag-iisang babae ko lang siya," she reflected. "Unti-unti kong napag-isipan na lumalaban siya, ipaglaban ko na rin hanggang sa kaya niyang lumaban."

Lina touched on the extreme measures taken to preserve her daughter's life, including the decision to perform a tracheostomy and establish a gastrostomy for feeding.

"Kasi ilang beses na po siya ni-revive. Minsan, nawalan na siya ng pulso, 5 minutes hanggang 10 minutes. Pero pinaglaban ko pa rin," she stated.

The support they found in the Malasakit Center at the PCMC mitigated the constant hospital visits and the need for medical attention.

"Mula nung baby pa siya, sa PCMC kami regular nagpapa-check up. Kung hindi dahil kay Lord, siguro bibigay na ang katawan mo dahil ikaw pa ang nagtatrabaho. Puyat ka lalo na pag nasa hospital,"