Seeing a child suffer is every parent’s greatest fear—something Pinoy Big Brother alumna Wendy Valdez recently faced when her eight-year-old son Seth, who lives with spina bifida, underwent a major operation.
According to Mayo Clinic, spina bifida is a neural tube defect in which a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly during early pregnancy.
The operation was a success, but Wendy admitted that the recovery period became one of the most emotionally difficult experiences for both her and her son.
In a heartfelt Instagram post on Friday, May 15, 2026, she recalled the heartbreaking moment she heard her son cry and whisper, “Mommy, baka hindi na ako gagaling.”
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She admitted it was difficult to hold back her tears, especially as she witnessed Seth's ordeal.
"I wanted to cry the moment I heard those words, but I held it in until he finally fell asleep.
"He was extremely dizzy and kept vomiting green liquids even without eating.
"His hands were cold, he had cold sweats, and he kept saying: 'Mommy, hilo… I’m weak… Kahit gusto ko makatulog, hindi ako makatulog sa hilo…Mas mahirap ito na hilo at suka kesa yung nagsusubo ako ng kamay sa bahay tapos susuka ako.... Baka hindi na ako gagaling.' [emojis]
"I held him, rubbed his hair, and kept whispering prayers over him. (Kinukulit ko ulit si Lord [emoji]) 'Gagaling ka, Seth. Mawawala din iyan. God will give us wisdom.'
"That whole night, I held onto God’s promises. He is our help, our guide, and our healer."
Closely monitoring Seth’s medications, she suspected that paracetamol was causing his severe symptoms.
Although she was told it is one of the mildest pain relievers, she asked the doctors to temporarily stop administering it to her son.
Wendy wrote: "I closely monitored every IV medication they gave him because deep inside I felt there was still one causing the dizziness and vomiting.
"By 7am, after another vomiting episode, I asked what medicine had been given at 6am. They said paracetamol and antibiotics.
"Even though they explained paracetamol is usually the gentlest pain reliever, I still felt 'Hindi hiyang si Seth doon,' so I asked to stop it unless truly needed.
"From then on, the vomiting stopped. [emoji] No more dizziness. No more vomiting. And suddenly our quiet weak boy became talkative, playful, noisy, and full of life again. [emoji]
"We were even joking that maybe we should put him back on paracetamol because he became SO noisy again. [emoji].
"Today, he’s happily watching Superbook, Marvel movies, singing praise and worship songs with us, and patiently taking tiny spoonfuls of water while recovering."
Toward the end of her post, Wendy expressed her gratitude to God for answering her prayers and shared three Bible verses that reminded her of His power and guidance.
"Hallelujah Lord. Thank You for being with us through every fearful moment, every whispered prayer, and every answered cry for help. You deserve all praise! [emoji]
"This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him… — Psalm 34 34:6
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” — James 1:5
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them… — Psalm 34 34:1."
"Praying moms are the best moms."
Wendy and her husband Normann Garcia welcomed Seth in 2017.
His condition was detected during Wendy's second trimester.
But despite receiving discouraging diagnoses, the family chose to remain hopeful and proactive.
Since Seth’s first birthday in 2018, Wendy has been sharing their journey—including his surgeries, therapies, home care, and resilience.
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