The big secret Jennifer kept from the world did not hinder her from finding love

Jennifer is a 27-year-old woman who lives in Sitio Bagacay in Siaton, Negros Oriental. In this day and age of Instagram and online dating, Jennifer would only post selfies that show her face and hide the rest of her body.

"Kapag nagpo-post ako, siyempre gusto ko maayos 'yung itsura ko. Sa Facebook Messenger, may filter kasi doon, nilalagyan ko 'yung mga picture ko para maganda," she said on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.

She hides the rest of her body, because there is a secret she’s keeping: Jennifer has a swollen neck, a swollen right forearm that weighs 4 kilos.

Bulging big veins, sagging skin, even masses of lumps that really hurt when they get hit make her situation difficult, but none moreso than Jennifer’s inability to move the fingers of her right hand.

According to Jennifer, the lumps of skin would even bleed whenever she gets bruised, which is why she needs to take extra care, especially with sharp objects.

Because it is hard for her to move, Jennifer could only sit at home. She’s trained herself to survive with only her left arm, but Jennifer needs help from her parents to take a bath and get dressed.

She cannot wear anything with sleeves because it hurts when clothing hits her body. But according to Jennifer, she would endure a jacket when she absolutely needs to go out. 

"Kapag lumalabas ako, nagja-jacket ako para matakpan siya, para hindi kasi ano pagtawanan ka ng mga taong nakikita lang talaga siya na walang takip."

It wasn't always like this for Jennifer. According to her parents, Jennifer was born with a normal body. When she turned 2 years old, they noticed a small cyst on her neck.

When she turned three, they noticed her chest was small and her neck started to become thicker. Her parents thought she was only sprained, and so they sought help from a "manghihilot."

They even consulted a doctor who told them the lump would eventually go away. It never did.

As she got older, the lumps continued to swell, getting bigger every time.

Her situation made her question her existence, "Maisip ko talaga sarili ko bakit ganyan, ang bait ko naman tapos ako ang naghihirap ng ganito bakit ganun? Mahirap kasing isipin na ganito ka. Nabubuhay ka nga pero wala ka namang silbi."

As much as she wanted to work and help her parents; with her situation she felt helpless.

"Gusto ko sanang gawin na ‘yung makapag-aral, makatulong sa magulang, hindi ko na kasi magagawa 'yun. 'Yung katulong nila, yung pamumuhay ba, pagkain araw-araw, makapagtrabaho."

Finding love

As she sits at home, Jennifer would entertain herself by borrowing her sibling’s and neighbors' cellphone and going on social media.

She would post selfies that only showed one side of her face, hiding her arms and neck, and pretty soon, Jennifer found textmates. It wasn’t long before she found a boyfriend, but things turned sour when they met in real life.

"Pakiramdam ko sa kanya na ikahiya rin niya [ako]. Kapag umaalis daw siya sa bahay hindi alam ng magulang niya. Parang umiiwas lang siya. Hindi kami makapag-holding hands. Malayo lang siya maglakad... or mauna ba or mahuli" she said.

The guy eventually left her, a painful experience because Jennifer also dreamt of building a family of her own.

"Gusto ko sana kasi dapat meron daw akong pamilya para may mag-alaga rin sa akin sa pagtanda ko. Kaso parang mahirap," she said.

But just as she was about to give up on love, a Cebuano came into Jennifer’s life.

Melchor texted her, explaining  someone gave her number to him. After two months of texting, they fell in love.

Jennifer revealed her big secret to Melchor, sending him a photo of her situation. 

Melchor admitted he was shocked, but what mattered to him is the love they have for each other. They saw each other for the first time in Cebu last December, with Melchor visiting Jennifer twice in Siaton.

Hoping to live and love normally

Jennifer still hopes to one day become normal again, and so the KMJS team accompanied her to consult a doctor.

She struggled and climbed down the mountainous area where she lives  just to be able to get to the hospital.

"Ganito po kami lagi kaya hirap akong makapagpatingin din kasi nakakapagod malayo kami sa mga ospital."

From Siaton, the KMJS team and Jennifer traveled two hours just to reach Dumaguete where she met Dr. Virgilio de Guzman.

Dr. De Guzman said Jennifer's lump on her neck is goiter. 

Meanwhile, the lump on her arms is possibly "Neurofibromatosis" that had obstruction on the lymph nodes and nerves, or it could also be the "Elephantiasis" that hit the upper extremities. 

Jennifer still needs to go through tests, and Dr. de Guzman said the only solution to her problem is surgery, but it would cost her millions of pesos.

Aside from KMJS team's financial help for Jennifer's medical needs; they also brought the love of Jennifer's life, Melchor, to Siaton.

Melchor’s surprise visit brought a gleam of happiness in Jennifer’s eyes.

Before, Jennifer had very limited social media posts for fear of getting judged online. Now, she’s ready to share a piece of her and tell everyone about the man of her life who accepts and loves her for who she is.

The world may judge her. But as long as she has her family and Melchor, Jennifer sure can face anything. — LA, GMA News