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Before he was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis**, he was strict, unsmiling and scary. I remember whenever we were bad girls or bad boys, our parents used to say: “Sumbong kita kay Tatay Jake, hala!” (“I’ll tell Tatay Jake!”) and it was enough to make us obey.
After his near death crisis at the hospital, he was a changed man.
He smiled a lot. Cared so much. Loved more.
But that’s not why I’m sharing this to you. It’s how he managed to provide well for his family eventhough he was ill.
He was a hardworker and a great businessman. He was able to save enough money for his treatment, for his kids, for his wife and still have more for other things.
Although sometimes he’s still stubborn. He refuses to see his doctor for a routine check up just because he feels fine. He self-medicate. And he’s still strong.
He can even take care of his rowdy rough grandaughter, Nani, alone.
He’s an inspiration to us. He and his big heart inspires us to work hard and save harder.
Myasthenia gravis (literally “serious muscle-weakness”is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. It is an autoimmune disorder, in which weakness is caused by circulating antibodies that block acetylcholine receptors at the post-synaptic neuromuscular junction,[1] inhibiting the stimulative effect of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
–Wikipedia
