7-yr-old’s handwritten notes kept Covid-positive parents strong
dubai — Ayah Pauline Pangilinan is only seven years old, but when both her parents tested positive for Covid-19 — she had been the strong one. She wrote well wishes and prayed hard, especially for her dad who was on a ventilator for 16 days.
Filipino expat Rhea Almazan Pangilinan, Ayah’s mother, was shocked when at one point her daughter asked her, “Will Papa die?”
“She asked this in a very straightforward manner, right into my face. But then she asked me why I am worried when there is God to protect us,” Rhea said.
Ayah showed immense courage and behaved with maturity during
such trying times, she added. “She never cried knowing Papa and Mama were unwell. She understood that I couldn’t touch her. She also wrote notes asking me to stay strong and eat healthy food. She prayed in the morning and at night.”
Reminiscing the time when she and her husband had fought Covid-19, Rhea — a Dubai resident — is relieved now that she can finally talk about the ordeal without breaking down.
Until some time ago, she couldn’t hold back her tears as she spoke to her husband over the phone while he was battling for his life. “Angelito first showed signs of the illness in late March and his condition started deteriorating soon after. I was scared,” she said.
Angelito’s lungs had been severely infected, so he had to be intubated.
When Angelito tested positive, Rhea, Ayah and their nanny also had to be screened.
“I always prayed that if someone else had to be positive let it be me. I knew that by staying positive, I could fight back,” the mother said.
Rhea tested positive. As soon as she found out, she isolated herself right away. “My utensils were washed separately. Each time I used the bathroom, I had to disinfect it before coming out and anyone who used it next sanitised it first,” she said. “I think these hygiene practices prevented others from contracting the disease.”
Rhea, who is now happy to be reunited with her husband in their home, maintains that the strong support they got from everyone around has helped their family rise above the challenging times.
She never cried knowing Papa and Mama were unwell. She also wrote notes asking me to stay strong and eat healthy.” Rhea Almazan Pangilinan,
Filipino expat