'Paano ako babangon?' Man loses pregnant wife to COVID, baby saved but in NICU

Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/05/21/rey-mangulabnan.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Photos from Rey Mangulabnan</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - They were happily expecting to welcome a new member of the family but fate had other plans. </p><p>A mother and a wife, Kaye Mangulabnan lost her battle with coronavirus, days after doctors advised an emergency caesarean delivery to save her baby girl. </p><p>Now, widower Rey Mangulabnan will have to take care of two children and face mounting hospital bills, on top of mourning for his wife. </p><p>&quot;Sobrang sakit, sobrang sakit talaga. Durog na durog ako ngayon, di ko alam kung papaano ako babangon... on point (sic) ako kasi kailangan ako ng 2 anak ko, kailangan maging strong ako,&quot; he narrated in an interview with ABS-CBN News. </p><p>(It is very painful. My heart is shattered to pieces. I don&#x27;t know how to rise from this. I need to be well because I know my 2 children need me, I need to be strong.)</p><p>Her late wife&#x27;s hospital bills has reached a whopping P2.1 million, of which P700,000 has been shouldered by PhilHealth. This, apart from from their baby daughter&#x27;s running bill, which he said is currently at P120,000. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/10/14/20/struggling-mentally-during-pandemic-go-through-stages-of-grief-says-expert">Struggling mentally during pandemic? Go through stages of grief, says expert</a></li></ul><p>Kaye gave an emergency birth on May 15 after her COVID-19 symptoms became severe which made her oxygen levels low, thus making it dangerous for their 35-weeks-old baby. </p><p>She died, however, on May 19 at the age of 37. Their baby is currently incubated at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/09/21/is-there-a-right-way-to-send-sympathies-to-the-bereaved-experts-weigh-in">Is there a right way to send sympathies to the bereaved? Experts weigh in</a></li></ul><p>The patriarch said it is so far unclear whether they would be able to bring home their little angel without paying the bills in full, but he said he has yet to see his baby in person. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/05/21/fam.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo from Rey Mangulabnan</figcaption></figure></div><p>He also pointed out that his family is also in need of pasteurized breast milk donations. </p><p>&quot;Sa ngayon kailangan na munang ma-settle itong problema namin sa ospital, bayarin. Sana mailabas ko na rin ang anak ko para nandito siya sa amin, makasama namin siya,&quot; he explained. </p><p>(For now we need to settle this problem of hospital bills. I hope I will be able to have my daughter released from the hospital so she can be with us.) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/20/grieving-in-the-time-of-covid-19-worst-of-the-worst-villanueva">Grieving in the time of COVID-19 &#x27;worst of the worst&#x27;: Villanueva</a></li></ul><div><strong>A JOLLY AND FRIENDLY PERSON</strong></div><p>In a separate interview, Kate Tan, a close friend of Kaye, described her as jolly, and a person who was &quot;built for long-term relationships.&quot; </p><p>&quot;She&#x27;s a good wife, daughter, sister, friend, lahat na, nanay. Talagang mabuting tao yon, so hindi ko naintindihan bakit kailangan siyang mauna.&quot; </p><p>(She&#x27;s a really good person so I can&#x27;t understand why she had to go.) </p><p>Tan earlier posted on Facebook group &quot;Glam-o-Mamas&quot; seeking prayers and financial donations for Mangulabnan&#x27;s family, as she knew that suffering from COVID-19 and giving birth would be difficult during the health crisis. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1657722" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Several people have already reached out to help, she said, but they need more donations to at least ease the family&#x27;s burden due to medical bills. </p><p>Tan said she regretted not being able to bond with Kaye in the past year, which somehow made her feel &quot;distant&quot; to her. </p><p>&quot;Parang naging distant kami sa isa&#x27;t-isa, parang hindi na masyadong nag-uusap. I don&#x27;t know kung sa mga nangyayari, sa pandemic, may kanya-kanyang pinagdadaanan or alam mo [baka] yung effect na rin ng pandemic [sa] mental health?&quot; she explained. </p><p>(We became distant from each other. We haven&#x27;t talked much recently and I don&#x27;t know why, maybe because of the pandemic, maybe she had her own troubles... or maybe it&#x27;s the effect of the crisis on our mental health) </p><p>Their photos together give her comfort at this time, as she admitted that the pandemic makes it harder to mourn. </p><p>For Mangulabnan&#x27;s part, he said that as he grieves, he would need to be strong for the sake of their 7-year-old son and their newborn daughter as the COVID-19 crisis rages on. </p><p>Those who want to donate to Mangalubnan&#x27;s family may send it through the following: </p><div><strong> GCASH</strong></div><ul>	<li>Rey PJ Mangulabnan - 0977-801-3283 </li>	<li>Kathleen Joie Mangulabnan - 0917-304-4116 </li></ul><div><strong> UNIONBANK </strong></div><p>Union Bank SA: 1094 2540 0858<br/>Acct. Name: Rey PJ Mangulabnan</p><div><strong>Pasteurized breast milk or in-kind donations </strong></div><p>B11 Lot 9 Utah St. Town and Country Southville, Brgy. Sto. Tomas, Binan, Laguna</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><div><strong>&#x27;No goodbyes&#x27; in a pandemic</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1689870" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Widower Rey Mangulabnan will have to take care of two children and face mounting hospital bills, on top of mourning for his wife. <br /> </p>

Widower Rey Mangulabnan will have to take care of two children and face mounting hospital bills, on top of mourning for his wife.

'Paano ako babangon?' Man loses pregnant wife to COVID, baby saved but in NICU | ABS-CBN

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'Paano ako babangon?' Man loses pregnant wife to COVID, baby saved but in NICU

'Paano ako babangon?' Man loses pregnant wife to COVID, baby saved but in NICU

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 21, 2021 06:29 PM PHT

Read More:

COVID-19

coronavirus

Life

Rey Mangulabnan

donations

call for donations

Glam-o-Mamas

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