Most newlyweds ride on the wave of the honeymoon stage during the first year of marriage. This is when they enjoy their time together as husband and wife, share their first home, and work on their dreams.
But for one newlywed couple, their vows of “in sickness and in health” are being tested just four months after saying “I do.”
Public school teacher Monique Gadong and her husband Christopher are facing a big battle ahead after finding out she has Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Grade IV, the most aggressive type of brain cancer.
Since finding out about her condition in April this year, Monique has had three brain surgeries.
Aside from the physical and emotional toll they have to endure, there are also the hospital bills piling up. The couple and their loved ones have started fundraising efforts to help augment their financial needs.
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Monique is a public high school teacher at Pinagbuhatan High School in Pasig, while Christopher is a business zone manager for Manila Water Company Inc.
They met at church, as they are both members of the Legion of Mary, a Marian organization in their parish St. John the Baptist in Taguig. The Marian devotees started out as friends until Christopher saw Monique in a different light.
“In early 2016, I discovered something interesting about her,” Christopher tells PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in an email interview.
“She was family-oriented because she always brought her baby sister to church just to attend our regular Sunday meeting and other activities.”
That March, Christopher invited Monique to a date. He recalls: “On our very first dinner date, I was late. But she waited for me for about an hour.
On that night I asked her if I can court her. That night is very special for us. I think I found my ‘The One’ since I always pray to God to have a partner who, like me, has the Lord as the center of her life.”
Both Monique and Christopher are members of the Legion of Mary
Three months later, they officially became a couple. In July 2021, Christopher proposed to Monique and she said yes.
They got married last December 7, 2022, a day before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Monique was a vision in a white bridal gown, her long locks cascading down her back.
Christopher looked dapper in his navy-blue suit and pale pink tie.
Because they both had to go back to work a week after their wedding, the newlyweds planned for a 2023 honeymoon instead. They only had a mini-honeymoon at the hotel where they had their wedding reception.
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Life AS NEWLYWEDS
Shortly after the wedding, the couple moved to Monique’s home. Christopher explains, “Since Monique and her siblings have no parents already, they subdivided their entire house. We stayed on the ground floor of their house.”
Christopher says they had to make big adjustments since getting married.
“We had to share responsibilities in doing household chores, which became our bonding moments. I loved all the dishes she prepared.”
When 2023 came, Monique and Christopher looked forward to their honeymoon. They were also getting ready for the turnover of a house-and-lot property they acquired in Morong, Rizal. They planned to make it their rest house since it is far from their workplace.
“We planned to stay there during weekends only,” Christopher explains.
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Teacher Monique
Monique is a Grade 7 (first-year high school) English teacher, working between nine to 12 hours a day. She teaches six classes each day, handling 50 to 55 students in every class.
Apart from that, she is also the school’s reading program coordinator and serves as the adviser of the reading club.
Christopher tells us Monique chose to be a public school teacher as she sees more learning opportunities for her compared to teaching in a private school.
She also wants to share her passion for teaching in a marginalized sector of the community.
Last Teachers Day on October 5, Monique was recognized by Pinagbuhatan High School for her “relentless efforts and meritorious contribution in delivering high quality of service.”
Monique with her students
Noticing Symptoms
When Monique started experiencing intermittent headaches, she first attributed them to her lack of sleep. She needs to wake up early in the morning to prepare for work.
In the latter part of March, she noticed that she would sometimes forget the right spelling and pronunciation of some words during class.
Worried these might be symptoms of early dementia, Monique told Christopher she wanted to consult a doctor.
It was scheduled for mid-April. But before her appointment, on April 1, she experienced more symptoms.
She had numbness in her right arm, lip thickness, and speech defect. Christopher rushed her to The Medical City in Pasig, thinking Monique had a stroke.
“Upon the release of her MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy), we found out it was a brain tumor.”
Aside from receiving the diagnosis, Monique also had to be admitted as it turns out, she had also contracted COVID-19.
Christopher recalls, “We both felt sad. Monique cried after receiving the diagnosis and she feels fear of dying too early.”
As her support system, Christopher knew he needed to be strong for his wife. He said he encouraged Monique, telling her positive things and thought about ways to conquer the brain tumor. “While in the hospital, I searched for other ways to remove it other than surgery.”
After seven days in the hospital and finishing her treatment for pneumonia due to Covid 19, the couple decided to discharge Monique and continue her quarantine at home.
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After undergoing MRI, it was discovered that Monique has brain cancer
The Fight Against Cancer Begins
The couple sought a second opinion at the Philippine Heart Center. “She had a medical work up there and stayed for seven days in the hospital,” Christopher explains.
“The neurologist and neurosurgeon had different opinions on how they will deal with the brain tumor. The neurosurgeon does not want to do the surgery since the tumor is very small, similar to the size of a green pea.”
The neurologist, Dr. Maricar Yumul, was not satisfied with this approach. She made a referral to another neurosurgeon at the UST Hospital.
The second neurosurgeon shed some light on Monique’s condition. Laser surgeries were omitted from their choices. The first one, the stereotactic laser ablation, was not applicable because of the tumor’s location.
Meanwhile, a whole brain laser surgery will harm the brain cells’ healthy tissues as a side effect.
Instead, Monique was scheduled for a resection in the last week of June. This involved a craniotomy where the neurosurgeon opened part of Monique’s skull to remove the tumor.
According to Weill Cornell Medicine, the goal of resection is to “remove as much of the tumor as possible without damaging healthy brain tissue.”
The surgery was moved up to June 5 when Monique experienced face twitching on May 29 and was rushed to the UST Hospital.
Christopher reveals, “A week after the surgery, we received the biopsy report and we found out that the tumor is Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade IV, the most aggressive brain cancer. Our family felt so bad about the result. She was sent home last June 13.”
According to Dr. Jon Weingart of John Hopkins Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center who is not part of Monique’s medical team, a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is “a grade 4 glioma brain tumor arising from brain cells called glial cells.”
The grade refers to how likely the tumor will grow and spread, with Grade 4 as the most aggressive and serious type of tumor. The cells of a GBM are abnormal, and new blood vessels are created as the tumor grows.
Just two weeks after the resection, Monique had continuous bleeding and returned to the hospital. She had early cerebritis, a type of brain infection related to bacterial or non-viral pathogen infection.
She was immediately scheduled for a second brain surgery on June 24 to remove the abscess in her brain.
“It was another successful operation,” Christopher says. “Supposedly, we had to stay for one month in the hospital to treat the brain infection.
“However, her medical oncologist Dr. Julie Ann Tapispisan, and her radiation oncologist could not wait for one month to start her treatment: radiation therapy and chemotherapy.”
They had to hire a private nurse to facilitate Monique’s antibiotics via a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line at home. “The antibiotics cost PHP11,000 per day.”
Long Road Ahead
After Monique’s surgeries, the couple stayed at Christopher’s parents’ house. They assisted in Monique’s care and handled her daily food preparation.
Christopher accompanied Monique to the Benavides Cancer Institute at the UST Hospital for radiation therapy every weekday. The radiation therapy totaled PHP128,000 for 30 sessions.
She simultaneously received oral chemotherapy since it strengthens and maximizes the effect of the radiation therapy. Ten capsules of oral chemotherapy cost PHP20,000.
It is a good thing that Christopher’s hybrid work set-up allows him to be by his wife during this challenging time.
He works on-site three days a week and works from home for two days, assigning an officer in charge when he is not around.
Monique has completed her radiation therapy and first phase of chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, she had a severe seizure attack last September 27, and needed a third brain surgery to remove the tumor which has recurred.
The brain surgery is a necessary step before starting her second phase of chemotherapy, which will span six months.
Since the chemo is oral, she can take them at home. She just needs to come back every two weeks for her medical oncology check-ups, and every two months for her MRI as needed.
Inutak For Monique’s Utak
A light in the tunnel is Monique’s strong support system which includes Christopher, their families, and friends.
Christopher says, “I am grateful to my family, my cousin, my wife's sister, and her cousin who support us in raising funds for Monique.”
Aside from a Give Asia crowdfund, they take in orders for inutak, a Filipino kakanin made of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar, flavored with a layer of ube halaya. This delicacy is famous in Pateros and Taguig, where the couple resides. A tub of inutak is PHP65.
They also have Cookies for a Cause, selling chocolate chip and red velvet cookies at PHP150 and PHP200 per 10-piece jar, respectively.
A One-Day League for a Cause also happened on October 7, when volleyball teams who registered played against one another.
Monique’s students had their own fundraising project, “Piso Para Kay Ma’am Monique,” which was able to raise more than PHP6,000.
Donors can also deposit directly to Monique’s bank and GCash accounts. The newlyweds are also letting go of their Morong house and lot, to help fund Monique’s medical bills.
Ready to Fight
The devoted teacher initially wanted to continue working.
Christopher says, “At first, she really wants to go back to school to request to their principal a no teaching load, but just to supervise the reading club.”
However, the school principal declined because of her condition. Monique was disappointed and dismayed, Christopher relays, but she later realized that she might just be a burden to the school if she insists on working. She has been on indefinite leave since June 2023.
While recovering from her second brain surgery, Monique welcomed her 30th birthday in the hospital. And while she sported long hair for many years, shaving her head became an easy decision. Says Christopher, “She already accepted it. She believes that shaving means renewal of her life with a successful brain surgery.”
Monique underwent her third brain surgery last October 19, 2023.
Monique carries this positivity in facing this huge curveball thrown at them. When asked what makes her steadfast and hopeful, the new wife and teacher says, “I want to continue my life to do my mission and my passion for teaching, and to be with my husband for many more years.”
She adds: “I believe this challenge shall pass. I just trust the grace and plans of the Lord for us. Big blessings and a brighter future ahead are waiting for us after this challenge.”
For his part, Christopher looks to the experiences of other married couples who have faced challenges in their married life.
“I use this as an inspiration to serve my wife and help her cope with this sickness.”
He adds that they hold on to their faith to keep them going. “As Marian devotees, we both pray the daily Rosary to be the source of our strength to continue this battle.
“My wife is very strong. I see her eagerness to live more years as she disciplines and helps herself to fight this battle. I am using it as a motivation not to stop looking for funds to support her medical needs.”
If there is one thing they learned from the obstacle they are hurdling, it is never to give up. Christopher says, “We are with the Lord in this battle. He will never forsake us.”
Latest Update: Sadly, on October 28, 2023, at 9:52 p.m., Monique passed away.
Read: Newlywed teacher succumbs to brain cancer after valiant fight
For those who would like to extend help to Monique and her husband:
- GCash is 09175139826
- Bank account is 1645036669 Land Bank of the Philippines, Monique Gabriel