PBB’s Kisses Delavin talks about illness that almost killed her

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“Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7” runner-up Kisses Delavin recently talked about her being a “miracle child” and the ailment that nearly curtailed her life.

In an interview with ABS CBN’s Push, Delavin said that her mother suffered eight miscarriages for five years before she finally gave birth. Her family’s hardships piled up when Delavin, who was 6 years old then, was diagnosed with viral encephalitis.

“[It has] 95 percent mortality so parang five percent lang ‘yung chance na mabuhay (chance of survival). Or, kung mabuhay ka man, you will be gulay. Parang hindi na nag-fa-function properly (Or, if you live, you will be like a vegetable. Your organs might not function properly),” she said.

She never expected that a simple fever would lead to a one-month ordeal at an intensive care unit (ICU) in Manila.

“So, nag-contact ‘yung mama at papa ko ng airlift, ‘yung airlift na ‘yun [na] galing Manila one hour daw papunta dito [sa Masbate] (My parents contacted an airlift service from Manila, but it would take an hour to arrive in Masbate)” Delavin recounted. “Baka malelate so kumuha pa ng isang airlift ‘yung parents ko from Cebu kasi it’s a matter of time. So, mas mabilis ‘yung sa Cebu dumating (My parents contacted another airlift service from Cebu because time mattered. The airlift from Cebu arrived first).”

When she woke up at the hospital, Delavin failed to recognize her parents, suffering from a temporary loss of memory. “Sobrang laking miracle pero ‘nung nagising ako, wala akong makilala, parang may amnesia (It was a big miracle [that I recovered]; when I woke up, I didn’t recognize anyone, it was as if I had an amnesia),” she said. “So many miracles leading up to me surviving.”

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Thankful for her second life, Delavin, 17, attributed her recovery from the frightening ailment to God, helped by her family’s prayers.

“This is your second life. Actually, so many chances na mabuhay ka ulit (that you will survive),” she quoted her father as telling her then. “You need to grow up finding that purpose.”  Gianna Francesca Catolico/ra