Anthony Taberna (left) with his daughter Zoey (center) and wife, Rossel (Image: Instagram/@iamtunying28)
After Anthony Taberna recently revealed that his 12-year-old daughter was battling leukemia, he and his wife, Rossel Velasco, have opened up about dealing with the disease.
Though the couple knew their daughter Zoey had leukemia in December 2019, they did not immediately disclose it to her, Taberna said on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” last Sunday, Dec. 6.
Initially, they thought she had a bone disease. Taberna recalled Zoey complaining last Dec. 2, 2019, about her knees and that she could not get up.
After she underwent tests, it was determined that she had a bone marrow disease and eventually, it was confirmed to be leukemia.
“Hindi niya po nalaman talaga agad na leukemia po yung karamdaman niya (She did not know right away that she was sick with leukemia),” Velasco said.
“We always say na bone marrow disease,” she added. “Pero ‘di po namin masabi yung c-word sa kanya, of course iyong leukemia, dahil she might get scared.”
(But we could not say the c-word to her, of course leukemia, because she might get scared.)
When they broke the sad news to her, Rossel said she was shocked.
“So, nung pauwi na kami, nasa sasakyan, iyak siya nang iyak, bakit hindi daw namin sinabi sa kanya na iyon iyong sakit niya.”
(So when we were going home in the car, she kept crying, asking why we did not tell her that that was her illness.)
Taberna said he explained to her that her type of leukemia has a curability that is up to 90% and that she should not be scared because she could get treatment.
The couple also shared their pride after their daughter accepted that she was losing her hair due to chemotherapy.
Both went public about their daughter’s condition only after she spoke up on Instagram last Dec. 2, where she posted a photo of her after getting her head shaved and detailed her struggles with leukemia.
“Sabi niya, ‘I’m ready. I’m not afraid anymore,’” Rossel recalled. “Nagulat na lang ako na pinost talaga niya yung pagri-razor nung hair niya.”
(She said, “I’m ready. I’m not afraid anymore.” I was surprised when she posted her head getting shaved.)
“Marami na rin kaming episodes in the past na talagang umiiyak siya, nadi-depress siya kaya po we’re proud na na-accept niya na po [iyon].”
(We have gone through a lot of episodes in the past where she would cry, she would get depressed, which is why we’re proud that she accepts it already.) Niña V. Guno /ra
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