I lost Chammy, my playmate

By Leonardo Micua

 

I am in grief. My whole family is in grief.

Our beloved eight-year old granddaughter Chammy (Mary Therese Micua) died in a vehicular accident when a wayward semi-trailer truck invaded a Rest Area for vehicles along the Hume Highway, southeast of Sydney, Australia at 3:00 p.m. (Australian time) on July 10. As they were boarding their vehicle, it was rammed by the truck.

Chammy died on the scene, her mother, Dra. Maryjane Quevedo-Micua was thrown off and was in critical condition for a time, while my son, Jose Dennis, who was already inside the car and about to start it, was unscathed.  My daughter-in-law is now on the road to recovery after doctors worked on her fractures but as soon as she woke up, she and my son could not hold back their emotions over the loss of Chammy.

Four other people were in critical condition and had to be rushed to the hospital too. The driver of the trailer was slapped with 11 cases (from dangerous and negligent driving) was locked up.

The incident was a nightmare to all of us, especially because Chammy was the only daughter of Jose Dennis and MJ.

More nightmarish is the fact that because of COVID-19, we cannot even go to Australia to be with my son and his wife to share in their moments of sorrow for the loss of Chammy.  We were informed that except for the state of Victoria, all of Australia is not on a lockdown. But to protect its people, the government is denying the entry of visitors from countries with very high COVID-19 cases.

This protocol makes it extra-difficult for us to enter Australia at this time, being seniors and coming from the Philippines, which is listed as having the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia.

So, we are stuck in Dagupan at home, just waiting eagerly for any update from Jose Dennis or their relatives.

On Thursday, Millicen, sister of MJ, posted that Liverpool Hospital, where MJ is still confined, is on lockdown because of COVID-19.

On Sunday, I finally talked to my son via Skype and he told me not to worry as MJ is under the care of the best and the finest doctors and nurses in Australia. That was a big relief to us! He said they have their friends and relatives of MJ from both Sydney and Canberra always by their side to watch over them and console them.

Sympathies poured to the couple from across Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States. We can only pray for our dear little angel Chammy to rest in peace and for MJ’s fast recovery.

At that time, the family was bound for Canberra, the Australian capital, for a holiday. They came all the way from the scenic town of Forster, their home. We were with them in Forster for three months, to be exact, since Chammy was only about three years old.

Millicen mournfully told me via Skype, “Uncle, you just lost a play mate”.

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The announcements of the two best-known hospitals in the country—St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Makati Medical Center—that they can no longer admit anymore COVID-19 patients having reached their full capacity, then followed by the National Kidney Center Institute with the same announcement that their ICU room has reached dangerous zone, are indications that coronavirus cases continue to spiral in Metro Manila.

While the Inter-Agency Task Force on Infectious Diseases (IATF) may have a timely response to this, we have to fight back as the COVID-19 vaccine is not expected till the end of this year or by early next year.

Locally, we were informed that private hospitals no longer admit COVID-19 patients as well and new cases are referred immediately to the Region 1 Medical Center or the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital.

R1MC as well as PPH cannot turn away COVID-19 patients. They are obliged to admit and treat them whether the patient can pay or not. Fortunately, there are only 28 active coronavirus cases in Pangasinan after 97 already recovered. Only nine have died. 

But there is news that anyone dying in private hospitals for causes other than COVID-19, is immediately bundled up and cremated even without the consent of the relatives. This has enraged the kin of the dead and want to file charges against these hospitals. 

I think COVID-19 is about to be conquered in Pangasinan and in the country. Note that we are finally registering a very high recovery rate, an indication that COVID-19 has slowed down and has lost some steam. I agree.

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