For 3 decades, a paralyzed man in Camiguin extracts copra while lying in bed to make a living

A paralyzed man in Camiguin has been making a living for three decades by extracting copra or dried coconut kernels.

According to a “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS)” episode on Sunday, Jerome has been working nonstop despite being confined to a bed after he lost the ability to move his lower body.

Jerome used to handle the kernels while he sat down in his wheelchair, but he later felt pain after sitting down for a long time. He had since been working in bed by lying sideways.

Kids in the town sold him the dried coconuts for PHP6 per piece and left them by his bed.

He had a bamboo stick designed to pick up the dried coconuts. After he skinned the shell, his nephew Jovy helped him smoke-dry the kernels and sold it for PHP41 per kilo.

Jerome said he used the earnings to pay off his debts.

“Pambayad sa loan. PHP5,700 isang buwan. Matatapos na sunod na Martes. Loan na naman uli. Kasi walang laman,” he said.

[To pay off loans. PHP5,700 per month. It’s due on Tuesday. But I’m getting another loan because I have no money left.]

To make himself comfortable while he worked, Jerome lied on an old and torn mattress, a piece of sack, and a bamboo stick.

According to Jerome, his paralysis happened just a month before his 18th birthday.

“Palagi akong nanaginip na nalulubog dito sa putik ’yung katawan ko. Halos siguro isang buwan. Pabalik-balik,” he said.

[I always dreamt that my body was sinking in mud. It recurred for about a month.]

Without knowing what his dreams meant, he got into a car accident.

“’Yung likod ko parang nadurog-durog. Agad inoperahan ako para lang daw makaupo kasi ‘pag wala daw ’yun hindi daw makaupo.”

[I felt like my back was crushed. I had an emergency operation just so I’d be able to sit because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to.]

After the accident, Jerome’s siblings took turns caring for him. He said their father blamed him for why they were still poor.

“May sarili silang pangarap hindi nila maabot kasi sila nagbabantay. ’Yung tatay ko ganun din. Sinisisi ka. Hindi raw mahirap kung hindi dahil sa akin,” Jerome said.

[They couldn’t go after their dreams because they needed to take care of me. My father was the same. He blamed me. He said that if it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be poor.]

Jerome then decided to move out and live on his own. Fortunately, his neighbors came to help him with his day-to-day activities.

He had never gone to a specialist since his accident, so to help Jerome, the KMJS team brought him to one in Cagayan de Oro City. After his checkup, Dr. Wency Daya, a neuro-spine specialist said Jerome had complete spinal cord injury— the most severe form of spinal cord injury.

A nongovernment organization gave Jerome a wheelchair and folding bed and the KMJS team also shared pillows and financial assistance.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development also registered Jerome under its persons with disability (PWD) list, sent him grocery items, and vowed to monitor his welfare.

Meanwhile, the Patient Alliance Organization of the Philippines’ Maria Fatima Girlie Garcia-Lorenzo pointed out that there’s a lack of health services in rural areas.

“Talagang kakaunti ang health services natin sa rural areas. ‘Yung doctor to the barrios bigyan sila ng incentives. Para naman worth it ’yung kanilang pagpunta sa baryo,” she said.

[Doctors to the barrios should receive incentives so their travel to the remote areas would be worth it.]

“’Yang nawalan ka ng pag-asa ’wag niyo na ’yang isipin. Ang importante diyan buhay pa tayo . Kaya natin ’to. Tayo mismo ang makapagbigay ng pag-asa sa ating mga sarili,” said Jerome.

[Don’t think that all hope is lost. What’s important is we’re still alive. We can do this. We can give ourselves hope.] – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News

For those who wish to help, please deposit to:

Bank: Cebuana Lhuillier Rural Bank
Account Name: Jerome Nacaitona
Account Number: 001060346486