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Best-selling Wattpad author fights cancer with faith

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ABS-CBN News Intern

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171991801978820240702-author-fights-cancer-with-faith.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Handout photo"/>Handout photo</div>MANILA -- A 31-year-old author with over three million followers on Wattpad deepens her faith while battling a stage four lung cancer metastasis to the brain.Known by her pen name, Blue Maiden, Ma. Cristina Lata-Beniza is the author behind the best-selling Wattpad book &quot;The Four Bad Boys and Me&quot; that was adapted into a series by ABS-CBN.Looking for a source of entertainment while she was pregnant, Lata-Beniza stumbled upon Wattpad, a free storytelling platform. After reading a story on Wattpad in 2013, she decided to start writing her own story.“Wala akong background sa writing profession kasi ang kinuha ko ay BS Psychology so malayo siya sa writing, kumbaga as time goes by sa kakabasa ko ganyan parang natuto na rin ako,” she said.She has been a writer for 11 years, and she is still in disbelief at the recognition that her stories are continuously receiving.<div>Journey as a Wattpad writer</div>“Hindi ko rin in-expect na magkakaroon ng reads, hindi naman talaga ako naghangad ng million reads eh kumbaga nagsulat lang ako dati kasi gusto ko lang, parang libangan ko lang,” Lata-Beniza said.She received a lot of offers from different publishing companies after her most-read story garnered over 300 million reads. Even ABS-CBN&#x27;s Star Cinema contacted her to offer a proposal for an adaptation.In 2020, &quot;The Four Bad Boys and Me&quot; was turned into a digital &quot;lovecast series&quot; starring Kaori Oinuma as Candice and Rhys Miguel as Jeydon.“Parang iniisip ko na lahat &#x27;yun si Lord, kasi parang ang amazing lang na from Wattpad naging libro tapos nag-best-seller tapos ayun nga nagkaroon ng Star Cinema,” she said.Despite her situation, she has a reason to not give up on writing. It is all because of her readers, who have been supporting her up until now.When asked for her message for her readers, she said, “Sobrang happy ako na naging part ako kahit papaano nang buhay niyo through my works. I’m happy na napasaya ko sila and na-inspire ko sila.”“Kahit na anong mangyari sobrang nagpapasalamat ako sa kanila kasi kung hindi naman dahil sa kanila parang wala rin naman ako rito sa kinatatayuan ko,” she added.<div>Personal life story</div>It was in April 2023 when she was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a biopsy when a brain tumor was seen in her MRI.“Ang original cancer ko is stage four lung cancer which is weird kasi non-smoker naman ako. Usually daw, magbibigay lang siya ng symptoms ‘pag late stage na, ‘pag stage four na, kapag umakyat na sa brain,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.“So nung meron na ako tumor sa brain, ang una kong symptom ay parang na-out of balance ako, hindi siya vertigo lang. Tapos &#x27;yung kalahati ng body ko parang namanhid so akala namin na-stroke ako since may family history kami ng stroke because of my father,” she added.Her doctor’s recommendation is for her to undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy for a year. Last month, she already finished chemotherapy since her cancer cells are currently stable and aren’t spreading. But she still needs to do immunotherapy until she becomes cancer-free.She finds strength in God and her family, who never leave her side. Her son and husband are her inspiration to not give up in her fight against cancer.This year, she married Joe Beniza, her long-time boyfriend. She shared how lucky she is to find someone like Jeydon, the main character in her most-read story.“Naging single parent ako for three years. Tapos talagang pinag-pray ko kay Lord na gusto ko next kong partner is tanggap &#x27;yung anak ko si Luhan as his own. And then praise God naman, si Joe, &#x27;yung husband ko ngayon, sobrang mahal niya si Luhan. And yung anak ko naman, parang mas mahal pa niya si Joe kaysa sa akin,” she revealed.She wants to live longer for her son and husband. “Kahit sana kahit konting years pa pero lagi ko naman sinasabi na kung ano yung will mo Lord, ‘yun yung susundin ko naman eh. Prayers ko lang ‘yun for you na ayun nga sana para sa family ko,” she said.<div>Strength of faith</div>The highlight of her journey is accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. She believes that the reason she was given a trial in life was for her to glorify God.After she was baptized as a Christian, her goal is to share Jesus with everyone since she has a platform to do it. She wants to inspire the other cancer patients as well and give them hope.“Sabi ko baka itong cancer ko is a reason para makita ng tao &#x27;yung greatness ni God sa akin na kahit may cancer ako, lumagpas ako ng one year – lumalaban,” she said.For her, God’s words comforted her to be strong and full of hope that she will survive the trials in her life right now.“Hindi ko Siya sinisi, hindi ako nagtanong na bakit Mo ba ako binigyan ng ganito? Bakit ako pa? Na-realize ko through my journey na &#x27;yung sakit ko na ito is not a bad thing but a good thing kasi I was saved. Kasi kung hindi ako nagka-cancer hindi ko nakilala si Lord,” she said.She had no idea before why God gave her a million followers, and she revealed that she had finally found the answer.“I want to keep inspiring &#x27;yung mga readers ko sa stories ko and to glorify God for all the works I’ve done. Makita nila na lahat nang nangyari sa akin it is because of God’s grace,” she said.

A 31-year-old author with over three million followers on Wattpad deepens her faith while battling a stage four lung cancer metastasis to the brain.

A 31-year-old author with over three million followers on Wattpad deepens her faith while battling a stage four lung cancer metastasis to the brain.

Best-selling Wattpad author fights cancer with faith

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Best-selling Wattpad author fights cancer with faith

ABS-CBN News Intern,

Alyssa Lita

Published Jul 02, 2024 07:01 PM PHT

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