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Miss International 2013 Bea Santiago shares journey as kidney disease survivor

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Miss International 2013 Bea Santiago. Instagram/Bea Santiago" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/06/02/miss-international-2013-bea-santiago-06022023.jpg"/><figcaption>Miss International 2013 Bea Santiago. Instagram/Bea Santiago</figcaption></figure></div>Bea Santiago is seeing the world with gratitude as a kidney disease survivor.In a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T-mkTZKqnY">interview with showbiz host Butch Francisco</a>, the former Miss International said she will always be thankful to her younger brother for &quot;extending my life.&quot;Paul, who is younger by seven years, donated his kidney for Santiago&#x27;s kidney transplant.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/28/22/bea-santiago-thankful-for-kidney-transplant">&#x27;I feel brand new&#x27;: Bea Santiago thankful for kidney transplant</a></li></ul>&quot;Thank you so much for helping me, for extending my life, and I&#x27;m forever grateful,&quot; Santiago, who is now based in Canada, said during the online interview. &quot;You gifted me something more than an organ, but also a grateful heart.&quot; &quot;The world is new again,&quot; she declared after all that she has been through. &quot;It&#x27;s changing, I&#x27;m changing, and I can&#x27;t wait to see what life has to offer.&quot;<div>KIDNEY DISEASE </div>Santiago rose to fame after winning the Philippines&#x27; fifth Miss International crown in 2013. She pursued a showbiz career afterwards and appeared in a number of ABS-CBN shows, but had to move back to her family in Canada because of her health condition.In her interview with Francisco, the beauty queen-turned-actress revealed that she had IgA Nephropathy as early as 16 years old. Mayo Clinic described it as &quot;a disease that occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in your kidneys.&quot; She recalled having symptoms similar to allergies: &quot;Akala ko lang kasi po allergies kasi nga my throat was itchy, my tonsils was always inflamed. May flu, may fever, cough, cold, runny nose. [Tapos] may parang mga red dots ako sa legs na hindi naman siya from anything else.&quot;Santiago was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy after undergoing several tests. Her condition worsened over the years, and it led to end-stage renal failure.She only found out after she was brought to the hospital due to severe headaches.&quot;I was having really bad headaches na naging frequent... Hanggang sa naging every day na to the point na I was already vomiting. I was nauseous and dehydrated,&quot; she said. Santiago went on: &quot;Akala ko may aneurysm ako noon kasi sobrang sakit ng ulo ko. So I thought it was because of the stress I was feeling... Pero &#x27;yun pala, extreme dehydration from the vomiting that happened to me. My kidney was failing, my blood pressure was so high.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/08/06/18/bea-rose-santiago-diagnosed-with-chronic-kidney-disease">Bea Rose Santiago diagnosed with chronic kidney disease</a></li></ul>While she was earlier diagnosed with a kidney disease as a teen, Santiago found it hard to accept that she had end-stage renal failure, pointing out that she has always felt &quot;normal.&quot;&quot;Di ko muna siya tinanggap. Kasi I was like this, I was normal, I didn&#x27;t feel anything. I just thought na parang it&#x27;s just a fluke,&quot; she said. &quot;It took us almost one month to figure out what was happening kasi I feel normal, I look normal. I don&#x27;t feel like I was sick.&quot; It was when she flew to Japan to get a second opinion that it all began to sink in. Santiago later on acknowledged how kidney disease can be a &quot;silent killer,&quot; and focused on her recovery. The first step was for her to move back to Canada to be with her family. After regular dialysis, she was able to have a kidney transplant, thanks to her brother.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/11/30/20/bea-rose-santiago-remains-optimistic-despite-5x-weekly-dialysis">Bea Rose Santiago remains optimistic despite 5x weekly dialysis</a></li></ul>&quot;The first time (dialysis) was overwhelming... Umiiyak ako,&quot; she said, pointing out that the pain she felt was more mental than physical.When asked to give a message to kidney disease patients, Santiago stressed the importance of not just getting proper treatments, but also &quot;staying positive&quot; amid struggles. &quot;Always choose positive. Walang mangyayari sa atin kung &#x27;yung negative papasok sa brain natin, nakaka-toxic din siya. When you put that here (points to head), it goes around [your body],&quot; she said. &quot;Kasi &#x27;yun na lang ang meron tayong hawak at magbibigay sa atin ng hope,&quot; she added. &quot;When all else fails, always stay in the light.&quot;

Former Miss International Bea Santiago is seeing the world with gratitude as a kidney disease survivor.