Bukas sa publiko si Saab Magalona, anak nina Master Rapper Francis at Pia Magalona, at asawang musikero na si Jim Bacarro tungkol sa kondisyon ng panganay na anak na si Pancho.
Limang taong gulang na si Pancho at ipinanganak siyang may cerebral palsy.
Read:
- Saab Magalona gets real about "not-so-pleasant comments" about her son with cerebral palsy
- Karen Davila on internship of her son with disability: “I am so proud.”
Ang buwan ng Marso ay tinaguriang Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month.
Kaya ang pagbahagi ng kuwentong ito nina Saab at Jim ay magsilbi sanang inspirasyon, lalo na sa mga magulang na may katulad na pinagdadaanan.
WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?
Ang cerebral palsy ay isang neurological disorder that occurs before, during, or after birth.
Ayon sa WebMD, "it is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture."
Bagama’t pangkalahatang termino ang cerebral palsy, may iba-ibang klase ang movement disorder na ito, gaya ng apastic, ataxic, athetoid, hypotonic, and mixed type cerebral palsy.
Iba-iba din ang levels ng severity ng ganitong kundisyon—mild, moderate, severe.
Wala man itong lunas, may mga paraan o intervention naman na puwedeng gawin at medication na puwedeng inumin paa matulungan ang patient na i-manage ito.
PANCHO’S WILLINGNESS TO LEARN
Sa kanyang Instagram account (@saabmagalona), ipinakita ni Saab ang ilan sa exercises at therapy na ginagawa ni Pancho.
Merong walking at crawling exercises na ipinapagawa sa bata para mas lalong lumakas ang core muscles nito sa legs.
Bukod pa rito, sumasailalim din si Pancho sa oral placement therapy.
Ayon sa IG post ni Saab, “He’s been very eager to communicate and we’ve seen that he is ready to start sounding out more words.”
Thankful si Saab sa mga taong tumutulong sa kanilang mag-asawa to make all these possible for Pancho.
Gaya na lang ng physical therapist at teacher na umaalalay sa kanila throughout this process.
Sa IG posts pa rin ni Saab, nakikitang kumakaing mag-isa si Pancho ng yogurt.
Sa kabila ng kundisyon niya, tinuturuan pa rin nilang maging independent ito at mag-explore on his own.
Nakakatuwa ring makitang naroon ang eagerness ni Pancho to learn new things.
He cooperates well with his therapists kaya may nakikitang progress sa kanya.
Sa IG post ni Jim (@jimbacarro), ipinakita niya ang core work and trunk control exercises na ginagawa nila ng anak.
SAVING PANCHO
Emosyonal at puno ng lakas si Saab pag tungkol kay Pancho ang usapin.
Ito ay nasaksihan din ng viewers sa YouTube vlog ni Karen Davila 11 months ago, when she and Jim talked about Pancho.
Umani ng 1.1M views ang vlog na ito ni Karen.
Sabi ni Jim, “I think the hardest part was just making sure that he would survive. Now, we are just so proud of him!
“He is so smart and very loving. And always has this curiosity, which is very good.”
Binalikan naman ni Saab ang hospital moments nila nung nagbuntis siya hanggang sa makapanganak.
“We weren’t trying, we weren’t expecting tapos biglang twins. Boy and girl! It was just so magical, everything was smooth sailing, there were no problems at all.
"On my sixth month of pregnancy, I started bleeding. I wasn’t panicking, but I did see myself in the mirror.
"Parang namumutla ako. I’ve had pregnancy-related anemia, which is very common naman pala.”
Ikinuwento rin ni Saab na nagpunta sila sa ospital kinabukasan para magpa-ultrasound at doon nila natuklasang wala nang heart beat ang twin baby girl sister ni Pancho na si Luna.
Sambit niya, “I had an emergency C-section and yun, they tried to save Pancho.”
CEREBRAL PALSY WARRIOR NA, MIRACLE BABY PA
Ibinahagi rin ni Saab kung paano niya hinarap nang buong tapang ang katotohanang may disability ang anak.
“It was about a week and the doctor sat me down. Sinabi niyang I have to prepare myself na magkakaroon siya ng disabilities.
“I broke down, ‘What, what are you talking about?’ That was something na, I cried it out and from then on, that’s fine. We’re gonna work this out."
Buo ang loob na diin pa ni Saab, “We’re gonna give him all the tools and opportunities to make things work, to bring out the best in him.”
Aminado ang mag-asawa na nung una, mahirap yung pag-adjust nila sa sitwasyon.
Pero talagang mabuti ang Panginoon, binigyan sila ng mga tao around them to support them in dealing with Pancho’s needs.
Pagbabahagi ni Saab, “Of course, that’s with the help of a lot of people. It takes a village. There are so many doctors and therapists.
“Up to now, we are still learning. Jim and I just took up a course, a full course on developing his intelligence.
“The best thing one of the therapists said, “do not cuddle him so much.”
SHARING EXPERIENCES AND GIVING BACK
Sa kagustuhan ni Saab na mag-raise ng awareness, makatulong, at matuto pa tungkol sa cerebral palsy, sumali siya sa iba’t ibang grupo sa social media.
Meron na rin silang charity platform—jimandsaab.com.
May kapatid na si Pancho, ang three-year-old boy na si Vito, na sa murang edad niya ay nakikitaan na ng talento sa pagkanta.
Ayon kay Saab, maganda rin ang naidulot ng presensiya ni Vito kay Pancho.
Mas naging responsive ito at loving dahil may kasama na siyang bata.
Hindi madali ang maging magulang ng batang may special needs.
Lalong hindi madali ang buhay ng isang taong may disability dahil they have to deal with it all their lives.