Six months ago, our family gathered to lay to rest a very special young woman whose life was cut short by an aggressive yet not widely published disease called gastric cancer. This blog is dedicated to strengthen the voice of awareness to this disease, to be a forum for information and to give support and comfort those whose lives were forever changed by it's deadly grasp.
About Mailyn.....
About Mailyn.....
Everyone who knows her have nothing but good things to say. That's the best way to describe our dear Mailyn - a friend to all and a self-sacrificing one at that! She was 39 years old, a wife and a mother to a 13 year old young man. Her loves was what kept her grounded and happy and her personality bubbled forth even under the most trying circumstances. I had the pleasure of being her friend before she became family and when she did she was definitely more like the sister I never had. She was loving and kind, generous and simple, always smiling and befriending everyone she meets.
As a mother, she was affectionate and true not only to her own but to her nephews and nieces, mine included. To them she is Mama....she will always be.
Her other passions aside from family and friends was singing and food. A natural songbird, there's no mistaking her voice! She loves to sing and people love to hear her sing. So much so that she was able to record a Tagalog single entitled ironically, "Magkawalay Man ang Puso (Even If Our Hearts Part)." True to the words of this song, our sentiments of her will forever be the same - "even if our hearts part...it is you that I will love....always."
On March 24, 2010, we received the shocking news that this seemingly healthy young woman has stage 4 gastric cancer. The only symptoms that kept recurring is stomach pains which was always just associated to her gallbladder problems that was already removed prior to. However, there was one thing that was obviously abnormal - her stomach was unusually large. So much so that she was often teased as gaining some weight or that she was may be expecting a second child (which we longed for). No one would have thought that it was that serious and no one expected that it would be so ruthless.
Despite the odds against her, Mailyn persisted and fought with chemo and natural therapies, trying everything and anything just to gain one step ahead of this disease. At first, it seems like she was winning. The first round of chemo did little to dampen her spirits and her strength. She was strong, happy and looking vibrant. But only weeks after the end of the first round of chemo, the cancer returned with a vengeance and did not stop until it won. Mailyn fought for 11 months since her diagnosis. 11 months that came and went like the wind, so swiftly that we are still left wondering if it's all real. But it is and just like that...she's gone!
Thus the birth of this blog - a way to keep her memories alive while making everyone aware of this vicious disease that can affect anyone at anytime. Our goal is to make Mailyn's story known with the hopes that her death would not be in vain but would be a catalyst to being better informed, better prepared and better equipped to fight and win over this disease.
We will be posting topics once or twice a week...and yes, it is WE as in this is a group effort since this blog will be authored and participated by myself and a few of Mailyn's loves. Please follow along for your own benefit so that we could be one step ahead of gastric cancer and protect ourselves and our loved ones from this very deadly disease.
THE FINE PRINT:
Please be advised that the information featured here are not to endorse any specific cure or product. Any medical reference will be thoroughly researched but it is advisable that you make your own determination and consult your own physicians before following any of our suggestions and/or advise.
