Evanescence

At first we hope too much then later on, not enough.

---Joseph Roux

*****

It was heart-breaking news my Mom had told me last weekend. A friend, a neighbor, my Mom’s officemate had an accident and broke his hip-bone. He is still in comatose right at this moment. He survived but he cannot see nor hear anything. The doctors cannot do anything or move him around yet because of the delicate situation. They had spent 30 grand so far and still clinging on some hope for a recovery. My heart goes to his kids who are very anxious about the whole incident.

The Health Care in the Philippines is pretty bad. You will not be admitted in the hospital without a down payment. They don’t care if you’ll die outside the hospital. While it is understandable that the hospital won’t survive if everything is just free- still, it’s very sad and very inhumane. I have a good friend before who met a terrible accident and the taxi driver just brought her outside the hospital and left. She was unconscious for almost 12 hours with a few blood clots on her brain. How she survived was a miracle and partly because they have enough money to spend in the expensive hospital.

How could you cling for hope during these trying times? Where are they going to get more money? His wife had borrowed more than she can earn in the next 10 years. Plus, the kids are still young and one is in college. Yes, they both have a very good job but it’s not even enough for the whole financial dilemma. Even so, what money can do if the body can’t survive anymore? How good is money without your loved one? Or how good is a living spouse but handicapped (blind, deaf and lame)? How could you keep the hope burning without neglecting the future of your kids? You may have all your friends and relatives to support you but at the end of the day, you are just all alone.

With all my deepest sympathy.