Sentidokomon

after that horrifying night of her birth, Katrina Joyce is now a nurse, herself caring for others. What a blessing indeed!

(Note: Reposting this article below which is dedicated to the birthday girl Tiny and to Mama. This was first posted here on 20th May 2007 – Archive.)

It is the 20th of May and I am so thankful because many years ago today, I experienced having a kid sister. I was the only girl in the family until Tiny or Katrina Joyce was delivered from my mom’s womb miraculously. Mom had a serious bleeding that Sunday morning that we all panicked as Dad drove us to the old Regional Hospital in Tagum City. There was no resident doctor that day so we drove past Davao City with dextrose attached to the arm of my half-conscious mom.

We reached Davao Medical Center and right then mom was readied for a Ceasarian Section delivery. Around half past 11 in the evening, a very tiny, pale and vulnerable, barely 8 months baby girl came out by normal delivery! Earlier that day I was so scared seeing my bleeding mom gasping for breath as she let her teardrops washed her cheeks silently. I knew and understood that it was unexplainably painful to be in that situation. Somehow, I felt the worst fear ever that I ran to the hospital’s chapel and prayed deeply for the first time in my life!

Placenta flava? I didnt understand what I heard from the doctor or what had implied in those medical words then. What I fully understood was that he asked me if anything wrong happens, whom to save? “The baby or your mom?” What answer a teenager like me then could give to the physician, you think?

For the record I answered “mom”. And hell, it broke my heart. It broke my heart because I dont want to lose ”the baby and the mom”. I still remember that my own eyes were fogged with tears as I ran to the chapel and prayed. I asked God to save both. God was so kind, indeed. Mama Terry was bleeding from the morning and God must have seen how she painstakingly fought to save her baby and herself. And she succeeded!

I still consider it a miracle for a barely 8 months baby girl to try to come out from the womb by normal delivery, despite the preceding agony she and mom went through the whole day! That was the happiest day of my life!

Well, that is the story of the birth of my only sister Tiny. She still is “tiny” to me. She always say that she looked up to me being a strong person. She didnt realize that if there is one thing I could describe as being strong by birth, that is her. Mama Terry was spared from the knife and needle and stitches brought about by CS delivery. Take note that if not seven, it must be nine, not eight months! Tell me, can there be any explanation for the word “miracle?”

Happy birthday Tiny! and to Mama Terry, it is said that mothers are angels on earth. Im hats off for the displayed courage! Happy Mothers’ day!