Single mother takes care of 28-year-old with rare medical condition

A single mother in Donsol, Sorsogon has been caring for her 28-year-old daughter, who has the mind and body of a toddler due to a rare medical condition, according to Nico Waje’s report on Stand for Truth.

Merly Isao's daughter, Sarah, has a condition called Congenital Hypothyroidism, which is the partial or complete loss of function of the thyroid gland since birth.

Sarah is unable to walk and can only eat porridge and milk due to her condition. 

“Sa ganitong kalagayan po sobrang masakit sa kalooban ko habang gabing tinitignan ko po siya, natutulog. Hindi ko maintindihan ito. Ang sakit ng kalooban ko,” Merly Isao said.

“At saka sobrang kaba ko po, sobrang kaba ko pag pinapakain siya kasi hirap na hirap siya lumunok. Kasi ‘yung parang may bukol siya dito, ‘yung thyroidism nga niya. Pag minsan nabubulunan siya. Lugaw nga lang kinakain niya,” she added

Isao said she noticed that her daughter was a special child when Sarah did not move from her bed months after being born.

“[N]ung mga ilang buwan na, lumalaki na siya bahagya, talagang hindi siya gumagalaw. Ngayon ang namamasdam ko sa anak ko sabi ko parang may diperensya ito,” Isao said.

However, she could not immediately get Sarah checked due to lack of funds.

“Apat na taon na po siya. Talagang, hindi siya lumalaki, ‘yung mga paa niya atsaka kamay maliliit pa talaga,” Isao said.

It was only when Sarah was 8-years-old that she got a check-up at the Medical Center. There, Isao said Sarah was diagnosed with a bone disease and thyroidism.

“Ngayon. binigyan po siya ng reseta ng doctor… sa buto daw po ‘yun. ‘Yun po ang tinuloy-tuloy ko. Nung nakapunta na kami sa doktor non, hindi na kami nakabalik na contious nagpa-check up kasi nga ang hirap, walang pang-gastos,” Isao said.

Due to a lack of money for check-ups, Isao persisted in raising Sarah and her other child on her own after she was left by her husband.

According to an endocrinologist, Dr. Mia Fojas, Sarah may have Congenital Hypothyroidism or  cretinism.

“Cretinism is ‘yung pinanganak ‘yung baby na kulang sa thyroid hormones kasi meron siyang problema dito, no, sa thyroid gland. Ang thyroid hormones kasi it just does not take care of growth, it can also impair, kung kulang, ‘yung pag-iisip,” Fojas said. -- Joahna Lei Casilao/BAP, GMA News