Anthony Taberna’s daughter Zoey on being cancer-free: ‘I want to experience life’

MANILA, Philippines — It was last month when Zoey Taberna, the 13-year-old daughter of broadcast journalist Anthony Taberna with entrepreneur-wife Rossel Velasco, revealed she’s finally cancer-free after her more than two-year battle with leukemia.

Zoey was 12 when she first shared her diagnosis with the public in December 2020. As a kid who enjoys writing, she was able to articulate well on social media the thoughts and feelings of someone so young yet trying to bravely face her condition. According to her parents, Zoey also gave them the courage to fight the Big C together as a family.

Anthony, also called Ka Tunying by his followers, recalled in a recent interview how early this year, Zoey’s condition turned for the worse. Her acute lymphoblastic leukemia that was earlier treated with chemotherapy had morphed into the more life-threatening acute myeloid leukemia in December 2021. They were told that their daughter’s case was a rare phenomenon and only the second in the country.

Rossel learned from Zoey’s Filipino doctors that the first case went to Singapore for treatment, and has since recovered and returned to the country. She said, “So sabi ko, we have to look at the best option for our daughter and her doctors here were very supportive.”

The couple said that their eldest child’s health ordeal bonded them even more and united their families from both sides even if they had different religions. Every 9 p.m., as their panata, they would all pray together for guidance and provision.

Ka Tunying was surprised and grateful that his digital presence — something he wasn’t too focused on before — turned out to be a huge help in paying the medical expenses. On Facebook, he has over two million followers, while his Tune In To Kay Tunying YouTube channel has accumulated at least 600,000 subscribers since its launch in June 2020.

He further shared, “Meron naman po kaming sariling naipundar over the years. And in fact, bago kami umalis, kinausap ko po ang misis ko, kasi nagpadala ng cost estimate yung doctor, (sabi ko) willing ka ba na bumalik tayo sa dati nating tinitirhan sa Novaliches, sa tabi ng sementeryo?” referring to their old home, which has been turned into a commissary, “Sabi niya, bakit? Kasi baka kailangan natin ibenta yung bahay natin ngayon. Alam mo ano sagot ng misis sa akin kaya lumakas loob ko? Kahit saan tayo tumira basta complete tayo. Kaya sabi ko, OK!”

Zoey getting a comforting hug from younger sister and best friend Helga.

The Taberna family recently held a thanksgiving celebration for the healing and recovery of their daughter. The event also coincided with the birthday of Rossel and the relaunch of the Taberna Group of Companies — Ka Tunying’s restaurants, the events, multimedia and talent management company Outbox Media Powerhouse Corp., Catering by KT, and Ka Tunying’s digital platforms which now include TikTok. (Ka Tunying continues to hit the airwaves via his Dos Por Dos program with Gerry Baja over DZRH from 6 to 8 a.m., from Mondays to Fridays.)

Meanwhile, The STAR also had a chat with Zoey recently, where she opened up on her journey as a cancer survivor, and how family, faith and her favorite K-pop idols inspired her in defeating the disease. Below are excerpts from the intimate interview.

On being cancer-free:

“Sometimes, hindi pa din po ako makapaniwala that I went through that. Like sometimes, I just think that pag-gising ko, everything is gonna rewind to 2019 and lahat po panaginip lang.

“But all of the strength that I got po was from my family and mostly from God po. I have very strong faith that God was the one who healed me and the one who gave me strength in the times that I needed it.”

On how her parents and sister Helga were during those times:

“Nakwento po nila (parents) sa akin that they made an agreement that when they’re in front of me, they will try their best not to feel down. But I knew they were hurting as much as I was, especially emotionally po, even though they weren’t the ones hurting physically. So, that was where I also took the motivation to keep on being strong.

“There were times, especially because I’m very young — I’m turning 14 next month (September) — when my parents kept on telling me that I still have more years ahead of me, that I’m so young. Even if in my mind, sasabihin ko po, OK lang, tama na, I don’t want to. There were times sinasabi ko ayoko na po talaga… but I fought for my family and for God.”

“My sister is my best friend. She’s the one who comforts me when I’m sad… She helped me get through everything… She donated her stem cells sa akin po (referring to the treatment she underwent in Singapore). Some people misinterpret the bone marrow transplant as actually an organ. It’s like blood transfusion. They took her stem cells and then they transferred it to me after they wiped out all the cells in my bone marrow po. Her blood is basically in my blood.”

Joining her broadcast journalist father’s work-from-home setup.

On first learning about her condition:

“When I first got hospitalized, I had no idea about it. Akala ko po napilay lang ako or something. Because my first symptom was my legs hurting. When the doctors just gave the possibility of leukemia, I started crying because I’ve known people who had leukemia and passed away so it was very scary for me because I was just an 11-year-old kid.”

On the most challenging times:

“Actually, nung start nung 2022 po, everything was just a blur talaga. That was how low I was. The only thing on my mind was any minute I could die because I was super weak talaga. Days would pass when nakapikit lang po talaga ako. I wouldn’t eat. The biggest meal that I would have would be just a sip of Milo.

“Actually, iniisip ko po kung may pakialam ang mga tao but naisip ko yung family ko, yung mga internet friends ko, sino magsasabi sa kanila ‘pag nawala po ako? Most of everything I did wasn’t for myself but for my loved ones, ganun po yung naging mindset ko. Not that I think of myself as a very important person but I think that they’re going to lose a loved one, not only me.

“There were multiple (worst times). There was a time when I had a very bad nose bleed. It started at 8 p.m. and stopped like 2 a.m. It was traumatizing. But during that time, everything that was on my mind, gusto ko nalang po siya matapos, ‘di ko na po naisip umiyak. But the next day, I started crying when I saw my family’s messages that they were proud of me. Nakwento po nila ng daddy ko ano po nangyari. I get emotional because of the fact that so many people are proud of me.”

On her other sources of inspiration:

“I found comfort in K-pop. I’ve been very interested in K-pop since 2018 or 2017, specifically BTS and ENHYPHEN. They helped me get through the times I wasn’t feeling OK. Listening to their music and watching their content, it’s like they take my mind off my burdens. Besides that, watching my favorite TV shows like Friends makes my mind wander out of the problem I am having.

“Then, that was all I would pray for — that one day, I would be a normal kid again. I would be able to experience what normal kids could experience. Especially these days that it’s very different with social media and everything.

“Naging big impact din yung I had to shave my head. Image is a very sensitive topic for Gen-Zs. Naging harsh po sa akin yun but ang iniisip ko nalang po, one day, I’m gonna be back to normal.”

With her mom Rossel enjoying some sightseeing in Singapore where she had her medical treatment.

On dreams and future plans:

“For now, I really just want everything to be back to normal. Because even if I’m cancer-free, there’s still a pandemic.

“I just want to be able to experience high school in person (I’m in my third year of junior high). Because for the entire time I’ve been in high school, it’s been online. I want to experience life in general.

“(For a career) I want to enter the film or the music industry. I’m more into music but not as a singer or artist. Like, music production. I also like writing, po, pwede din journalism or I like to be an author of books.”