30-year-old woman in Leyte spent two decades in a banyera

A 30-year-old woman in Hilongos, Leyte has spent more than two decades inside a banyera or a basin.

As shown on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” Joanne became attached to her banyera when she was seven years old, said her mother Marcelina, a laundry woman and a single mother to four children.

Marcelina said when Joanna was small, she used to put her inside a banyera, but as her daughter got older, she seemed to have become accustomed to it.

The mother said her daughter would get mad and not eat if she wasn’t placed inside the basin first.

She also said Joanne didn't want to sleep on a banig (mat) and would ask to be moved to the banyera even in the middle of the night.

“Kapag may nararamdaman siya, magkaka-kombulsyon siya, kaya doon na nagsimula na hindi na ako makakaalis nang malayo kasi hindi siya pwedeng maiwan,” said Marcelina.

[She gets convulsions. That’s why I can’t just leave her alone.]

Joanne, who can’t speak, has eaten and slept inside the basin for 23 years. As she grew bigger, she began developing a hunched back.

Marcelina placed a pillow made out of clothes inside the banyera to make it comfortable for Joanne. She also placed additional layers of cloth because they couldn’t afford diapers.

The mother said that she had to borrow P500 to buy a new banyera because what they were using had become too small for Joanne. If the basin got cracks due to use, she would just burn plastic on the broken parts as a temporary fix.

Marcelina said that Joanne was born healthy until she got into an accident when she was three years old. Soon after, Joanne caught a fever and she started having convulsions.

As a single mother, Marcelina said she had a hard time supporting her family. In a week, she earns P200 from doing laundry.

All Marcelina wanted for Joanne was to have a good mattress and to bring her to a doctor, but Marcelina couldn’t afford any of it.

When the KMJS team learned about Joanne’s condition, they offered to bring her to a doctor.

According to the orthopedic surgeon, Joanne had severe cerebral palsy. The surgeon also said she wouldn’t go back to normal but she could undergo rehabilitation so she could learn to move again and correct her joints.

The doctor also said that Joanne’s curved back was not because of the banyera but because of her condition.

KMJS also offered financial assistance and gave the family an anti-bedsore mattress and pillow so Joanne could be comfortable.

Those who wish to help Joanne and her family may send donations through the following:

LANDBANK HILONGOS BRANCH
ACCOUNT NAME: MERCELINA VASQUEZ RANTE
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4166 0534 69

—Kaela Malig/RC/MGP, GMA News