Yeng Constantino with her mother. Image: Instagram/@yeng
Yeng Constantino expressed her grief after losing her mother Susan, who died while she was herself battling COVID-19, a time that she described as the “most painful and difficult moment” of her life.
The “Pinoy Dream Academy” alum revealed that she and her husband Yan caught the coronavirus as she recalled the experience on her YouTube vlog yesterday, Nov. 27. Constantino suffered several symptoms of the disease while her husband was asymptomatic.
According to the rock singer, she had various symptoms, including difficulty breathing, fever, headaches and an altered sense of smell and taste. She also slept for 16 hours a day while battling the virus.
She then recalled the day her father informed her about her mother’s death last September, while she and her husband still had COVID-19.
“No’ng na-experience ko lahat ng ‘yun, my mom passed away. Habang natutulog kami ni Yan, isang madaling araw, nag-ring yung phone at ‘yung tatay ko, nasa kabilang end,” she narrated. “That was Sept. 23, mga 5 a.m. Hindi ko pa narinig ‘yung boses ng tatay ko na gano’n kalungkot.”
(When I was experiencing all of that, my mom passed away. While me and Yan were sleeping, early in the morning, my phone rang and my father was at the other end. That was Sept. 23, around 5 a.m. I never heard my father’s voice sound so sad.)
Constantino also recounted that she did not get to cry over her mother’s death for four days, until she had a breakdown one morning.
“After mama passed, nagigising ako tuwing madaling araw. Nag-aalala ako sa mga kapatid ko, sa tatay ko. Pero that one particular morning, nag-break down lang talaga ako,” she recalled. “Sinabi ko kay Yan na ‘Hindi ko na maririnig ‘yung boses ng nanay ko ulit.'”
(After mama passed, I would wake up in the middle of the night. I would worry about my siblings and my father. But that one particular morning, I just broke down. I told Yan, “I’ll never get to hear my mother’s voice again.”)
Constantino did not disclose the cause of her mother’s death. Meanwhile, she said Susan has been struggling with her health for a while and the pandemic took a toll on her.
Constantino also told fans she wanted to stay strong for her mother, because she knew it was what Susan would want for her.
“‘Yung butas sa puso na iniwan ni mama, magiging nando’n lang siya forever kasi no one can replace her,” she added. (The hole in my heart that mama left, that will always be there forever because no one can replace her.)
The singer then addressed those who lost loved ones amid the pandemic, urging them to move forward with life at their own pace.
“I know they’re watching us and they would want us to live kahit mahirap (even when it’s difficult),” she said. “Keep on going, kahit hindi mabilis (even if it’s not fast).” JB
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