Actress and former Viva Hot Babes star Andrea del Rosario revealed that she once blamed herself for her child's rare congenital condition, viewing it as a form of "karma."
In an interview with broadcaster Karen Davila, Andrea opened up about her daughter Bea’s health condition.
"It’s called 'jejunal atresia'. Nalaman ko siya noong nasa loob siya [Bea]. I was having this procedure done wherein may picture sa loob [womb]. Then the technician told me, 'I think there’s something wrong with your baby,' because it was in America. He showed me an image, and lo and behold, may grape-like image in the ultrasound. That's where it all started," Andrea shared, reflecting on her pregnancy.
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Andrea Del Rosario on Her Child’s Jejunal Atresia
According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, jejunal atresia is a rare condition that causes a complete obstruction of the proximal small intestine in newborns, preventing normal digestion and absorption.
Andrea explained further, "In layman's terms, buhol-buhol ang bituka niya. They had to cut a big portion of it and she was left with a very short gut that's why she was also diagnosed with short gut syndrome."
Amid the challenges, Andrea—who even took a crash course in nursing to care for Bea—confessed that she once saw their situation as a form of divine punishment.
"I asked myself, ‘Lord ano ba ‘to? Na-karma ba ako? Is this something that you are doing to punish me?'" she said. "So I had all these questions. I was blaming myself. As a mother, you can’t help but blame yourself. ‘Where did I go wrong?'"
"Mahirap kasi hindi mo alam kung one day babalik ba ‘to? Is this a recurring thing?" she continued, referring to Bea's condition. "For instance, just last January, we had a major surgery again. They found something—’yung nutrition niya kind of affected. Lifetime challenge."
Despite the ongoing difficulties, the single mom found solace in her child's resilience.
Reflecting on a conversation with Bea, she shared, "I asked her, ‘Bea, what did you learn from that surgery we had this January?’ [She said,] ‘You know mom, there's this Bible verse that kept me going. Romans 8:18: ‘The pain you are feeling is nothing compared to the joy that is yet to come.'"
Read here for Smart Parenting's complete guide on newborn screening.
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