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Mothers on the Frontline: An Indispensable Gift
- By InLife Sheroes
- May 17, 2020
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For all that her hands have done and all that her heart has gone through, a mother is the most precious gift we can ever receive in our lives. Even as we grow older, a mother’s work is never done.
It would be impossible to encapsulate in words everything a mother does. It is because of this, her ability to love and nurture another beyond conditions to say the least, that InLife Sheroes celebrates mothers month.
This third Sunday of May, we honor three women who embrace willingly and take up gracefully their duties as both mother and frontliner during our most vulnerable days.
Nicole S. Tañedo-Trinidad, 33 years old
MD, St Luke's Medical Center Global City
Mother to a 14-month-old boy
What does a day in your new normal look like?
The new normal for me includes all the extra precautions that come with this pandemic. At work, we have resorted to telemedicine and have refrained from dealing face to face with our patients. My new normal also includes the disinfection routine when I come home. I have to ensure I do not bring the virus into our home and risk infecting other family members.
What do you miss most as a mom because of COVID-19 restrictions?
I miss bringing my little boy out. He loves car rides and we used to go on road trips. It's sad that he can't even understand why mama and papa suddenly stopped bringing him out for "pasyal".
What’s the first thing you intend to do with your family once it’s safe again?
My son learned to walk during the ECQ and I can't wait to bring him out to enjoy the outdoors and play like a normal kid.
What are you looking forward to doing when this is over?
I look forward to the day we get to smother each other with hugs and kisses again. To be able to go home and immediately receive that hug, instead of passing through the back door and disinfect myself before I can touch my child. I want to be able to practice medicine not through video calls and emails but to bring back that personal touch our patients really need especially in my line of practice in Pain Medicine.
What valuable learnings or experiences have you gained?
One great thing about this ECQ is that I find myself more at home. Because of this, I was able to witness all my son's precious milestones.
What drives you to keep doing what you do?
We continue to do what we do, not just for our patients, but for our loved ones supporting us from home. All we ever want is to go back to what it used to be like, when we can all hug and kiss each other freely and make memories without fear. We do this in the hopes of a safer and brighter future for our kids and believe that no matter how small, our efforts are can somehow make a difference for them.
Amor C. Co, 40+ years old
Nurse at Sultan Qaboos Hospital, Salalah, Oman
Single mom to a 13-year-old son
What does a day in your new normal look like?
Normal days will be having duty in the hospital, then afterwards just to stay at home to watch tv & do some chores like cooking, laundry & cleaning
What do you miss most as a mom because of COVID-19 restrictions?
Since I'm an OFW nurse and my son is in the Phils, I miss being with him. Usually we eat out and watch movies when we are together.
What’s the first thing you intend to do with your family once it’s safe again?
Actually, the original plan was to take my son on an out-of-the-country trip to Singapore or Hongkong during my annual vacation last April, but it did not happen due to COVID. I was not able to go home to the Philippines. Once it's really safe to travel again, I'm going to pursue this plan to make up for my lost time with my son.
What are you looking forward to doing when this is over?
To spend more time with my son without having to worry about this pandemic/outbreak.
What valuable learnings or experiences have you gained?
As a mom, we worry too much when it comes to our children. One thing I learned from this pandemic is you have to put your trust to God. It's out of anyone's control already. Be sure to always do self-care, and to entrust oneself and all our loved ones to Him alone. I am also thankful that I always have my family who always support me and my son.
What drives you to keep doing what you do?
Being a nurse is not just a profession. If you're going to be scared because of this pandemic, then you are not suited to be a nurse. You have to have a strong heart to continue what you promised to do. I can be a friend, sister, mother, auntie, educator and so much more to my patients – this is why I love being a nurse!
Marico Medina, 63 years old
Garments businessowner
Mother to children with ages 40, 38, 36 and 27
What does a day in your new normal look like?
I wake up around 4am, pray the rosary before starting the usual household activities. I've always been a multitasker who attending to almost everything: cook, market, laundry, supermarket, check the shop over calls, get purchase orders and not missing online masses.
What do you miss most as a mom because of COVID-19 restrictions?
I miss driving to Manila, bringing my daughter every Monday because she works there. Buying things for the shop, meeting up with my daughter again for lunch, going around the mall to buy pasalubong for my family. I also miss walking to and going to Sunday mass with my youngest. On weekends also we eat out at the malls. I always make sure that with whatever little I earn from our business; I spend it with and for them.
What’s the first thing you intend to do with your family once it’s safe again?
I really think it's far from being safe even if ECQ is lifted. But if it is really deemed safe, the first thing we'll do is go to church and offer a thanksgiving mass. That’s the safest and best thing that we must do and go back and eat at home.
What are you looking forward to doing when this is over?
After this pandemic I don’t really expect to be going back to the old normal, where we enjoy every moment, seemingly unmindful of what’s going to happen. I am looking forward to a life like what we just had during the ECQ. We will just maintain it, become more cautious, and that people will just continue to be prayerful. We were always a close-knit family, but we were never as close, as prayerful, as bonded in prayers, and very people oriented. I pray hard enough that me and my family could think of more ways to help others.
What valuable learnings or experiences have you gained?
A lot. I really thought I knew my family well after 40 years. But, as we stayed in one house the past 2 months, except for my 3rd daughter whose family lives a few kms away, I got to know them deeper and really enjoy every minute of the day.
My daughters have led our family in sponsoring snacks for the staff of a friend's hospital and bringing food and washable face masks made by our shop to other hospitals and checkpoint frontliners. Small things that mean so much. At the end of the day, I ask myself, what good did I do to have these kinds of people, my family? I could not ask for anything more, I would not trade them for wealth. For me they are beyond any affluence one can have.
What drives you to keep doing what you do?
At the start of ECQ, I told my husband to close shop. For 39 years, we never did except for Taal and Good Friday. I had no plans to go outside, until I got a call from a suki hospital requesting improvised PPE. I only intended to supply the 100 pcs they needed but other sukis learned about it and started ordering. Amidst the paranoia, what keeps me going is the thought that with every PPE we make, we are saving a life and that God won’t let any harm befall us and my workers especially my husband who is hands on from day one being the master cutter. I ask God to use me, give me a strong body and mind so I can help more people. And that became my driving force to continue, It feels good hearing my doctor friends call us Lifeline of Frontliners.
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Read part 1 of theMothers on the Frontline feature here.
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