As Caridad Sanchez’s son downplays mom’s condition, her daughter says there’s no shame in it
Caridad Sanchez. Image: Instagram/@cathybabao
The condition of veteran actress Caridad Sanchez seems to have her children at odds.
After her daughter, grief counselor Cathy Babao, opened up about coping with Sanchez’s memory loss because of dementia, the screen icon’s son downplayed it.
Cathy has since responded to her brother’s statement, stressing, “Denial is only to the detriment of the person with dementia.”
Alexander Joseph S. Babao slammed his sister’s blog post where she revealed going through a “long goodbye” as their mother’s memory fades. Though her post was made in September, news outlets reported about it over the past few days.
Alexander Joseph not only disagreed with Cathy for going public with their mother’s condition but also claimed that Sanchez has a “mild cognitive handicap” and not dementia, as per his statement on Instagram yesterday, Oct. 4.
Image: Instagram/@josef_aleksandr
“I Alexander Joseph S. Babao, son of Caridad Sanchez Babao, was shocked by the article published by my sister which was done without permission, violating the privacy, legacy and honor of my Mother,” he said.
“My Mom has a mild cognitive handicap that goes with aging. But it is unfair for her to be disrespected like this,” he pointed out. “Under my care, she remains very physically fit, a source of wisdom, strength and blessing to me whenever we have our late night mother and son conversations.”
“I thank the public who still continue to show their support, love and respect for my mother,” he said, adding, “However I question the opportunistic timing of it’s publication by my sister.”
Sanchez is still able to take boxing lessons, as per Alexander Joseph’s photo and video on Instagram today, Oct. 5.
Image: Instagram/@josef_aleksandr
‘Nothing shameful’
Cathy released a statement today where she explained her side on sharing her mother’s condition on social media, including the need to accept dementia rather than be in denial about it. Her post was accompanied by a photo of her and her mother looking at a cupcake with a single candle on it.
“Knowing mom, she would not want to hide her condition if she knew that sharing our story would help others who are on a similar journey much like the one we find ourselves on right now,” she wrote.
“It was never my intention to disrespect or disparage my mother’s image when I started to write about her dementia on social media. It took me a very long time to decide whether or not I would share our family’s story,” she said.
“There is nothing shameful about admitting that a loved one has dementia. It’s a condition that afflicts a huge percentage of the senior population,” she stressed. “What persons with dementia need above all is time, patience, love, understanding and respect.”
“In sharing my mother’s story, my only motivation is to help other families understand, and come to an acceptance of their loved one’s condition,” she said. “In families where there is no total acceptance, where family members are not on the same page, discord and misunderstanding are most likely to occur. Denial is only to the detriment of the person with dementia.”
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“This will be the last thing I have to say about this issue,” she said.
Cathy also stressed that their mom is “physically strong” after “decades of daily running and walking.”
“It is the dementia that is affecting her memory. It is a fact that I have now accepted with all my heart,” she said.
Sanchez has been a star on film and TV for decades, from LVN Pictures movies in the 1950s to teleseryes where she played the wise Lola to the likes of John Lloyd Cruz and Alden Richards. JB
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