‘Badjao Girl’ Rita Gaviola reveals having breast cyst; Karen Davila to extend help for checkup

Rita Gaviola. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Karen Davila

Rita Gaviola, popularly known as “Badjao Girl,” has revealed that a cyst was detected on her breast as she opened up on the bashings she experienced as a young mom.

Gaviola opened up on her condition during her interview with broadcaster Karen Davila, for the latter’s YouTube vlog yesterday, Aug. 25.

She noted that the cyst initially went away after taking medications, but it eventually came back. Gaviola also stressed that while the cyst is not cancerous, it does hurt when she touches the area.

“Nagpa-check up na po ako dati. Meron po talaga siya, sabi nila parang bukol, normal lang sa babae,” she told Davila while pointing to her chest. “Tapos ayun, binigyan ako ng gamot. So uminom ako hanggang sa nawala, pero bumalik siya.”

(I had a checkup before. There really is a cyst there, they say it is normal for women. Then they gave me medicine. So I took the medicine until it went away, but it is back now.)

Despite her condition, Gaviola opted to set aside plans to have another checkup so she could buy food for her family.

“[Parang] kailangan kong tiisin na hindi ako nakapagpa-check up, kasi imbes na i-check up ko, ibigay ko na lang sa parents ko pambili nila ng pagkain… Ayun po ang hindi alam ng karamihan, lalo na yung pamba-bash nila. Mas lalong nakakaapekto sa akin iyon kaya tiniis ko lang nang tiniis,” she said.

(I had to endure not going for checkups because instead of a checkup, I would give money to my parents so they could buy food… That is what many people do not know, especially when it comes to their bashing. It just affects me so much so I just put up with it.)

Given this, Davila said she would help Gaviola in getting the cyst checked by a doctor.

Gaviola recently revealed that she is now a mom by introducing her baby to the public last Aug. 8. She also asked the public to address their criticism toward her instead of her child.

Gaviola first gained popularity as a teenager back in 2016, when she captured the admiration of netizens after being photographed at the Pahiyas Festival in Quezon. It was in the same year that she joined the reality TV show “Pinoy Big Brother” alongside Maymay Entrata, Edward Barber and Kisses Delavin, among others.

Last February, Gaviola also competed in the “It’s Showtime” segment “Showtime Sexy Babe,” where she was named a daily round winner.  /ra

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