Health And Family

Ruby Rodriguez still sends texts to frontliner sister who died of COVID-19

Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo, Jan Milo Severo - Philstar.com

July 9, 2021 | 7:40pm

MANILA, Philippines — Former “Eat Bulaga” host Ruby Rodriguez remembered the pain she suffered after losing her frontliner sister, Dr. Sally Gatchalian, to COVID-19.

In the latest episode of Philstar.com’s "Slam Book," Ruby said her sister was their major supporter.

“Biglang namatay ang ate mo. She was our major supporter because she was the pediatrician of my son and she even went here. Kasama ko s’ya nu’ng December 2019. Kinausap n’ya lahat ng doktor ni AJ. Inexplain n’ya ‘yung illness ni AJ sa lahat ng doktor dito. And she was the one like, ‘Ruby, kung anong kailangan mo para kay AJ, pagka kailangan n’yo ng money, let me know,’ ‘yung gan’un. You know how close we are? Kasi kaming dalawa lang ang nasa Pilipinas. Lahat ng kapatid ko nandito na sa Amerika,” she said.

“So nu’ng namatay s’ya, pakiramdam ko ulilang-ulila na ako kasi wala na rin akong magulang. My mom passed away 2016, my dad was matagal na. Tapos wala na ‘yung ate ko, so sabi ko, ‘Pa’no ‘to? Napakaulila ko naman. Wala na akong matatakbuhan, wala na akong mapaghihingahaan ng kahit na ano o mahihingan ng advice. It’s so hard and until now, it hurts,” she added.

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Ruby said that she went through a lot of pain after losing her sister.

“Ang hirap, ang sakit. ‘Pag naaalala ko, ang sakit,” she said.

“Andami. And’yan ‘yung nawala ‘yung kapatid mo, ‘di mo na alam ‘yung estado mo sa ‘Bulaga,’ ano ba talaga, marami!” she added.

Ruby realized that her family is the only people she can rely on during those times.

“It’s a very humbling experience. It made me realize na sa mga gan’ung pagkakataon, ‘yung mga hirap at ginahawa, you can only rely on your family talaga, when it comes to physical presence. And you’ve got to have your faith in God. Dasal lang talaga to keep me strong and not to lose hope, to keep the faith… For every door or cathedrals that close, there’s a backdoor that opens. And even if it’s a small door, God will place you, your feet in it. ‘Yun ang talagang nagpalakas ng loob ko,” Ruby said.

“’Yun ang nagpasaya sa’kin, ‘yung pagsasama naming pamilya,” she added.

Now, Ruby said she also now finds joy in getting updated with her daughter’s love life.

“Laging tawanan mo lang ang problema,” she partly sang as reminder.

She shared that although her Manang Sally has gone back to the Lord, she keeps her memory alive by keeping their conversation thread and texting her sister about her new Korean drama finds. After all, it was her Manang Sally who introduced her to K-dramas.

"Feeling ko, I'm just continuing what she did and you know, I just keep our thread para 'pag tinotopak ako, minsan nagtetext ako sa kanya miski alam kong 'di na n'ya makukuha," Ruby asserted.

As advice to those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, she enthused: “Lahat tayo mawawala sa mundong ito. Alam natin ‘yun. Masakit lang ‘pag bigla sa mga hindi sinasadyang pagkakataon. Masakit pero tanggapin natin and keep the faith and everything will be better.”