RECENT UPDATE (5/11/2025):

Our hearts are heavy, but overflowing with gratitude.

First of all, from the bottom of our hearts… thank you... This is hard to write, but we want to share an update with everyone…

Nanay began her journey home on Thursday, October 30, after receiving the green light from her doctors to fly back to the Philippines. It was a long and difficult 20+ hour trip, but she stayed strong until the very end. When she landed in Iloilo on Friday, October 31st, we told her, “Welcome home, Nanay. You’re in Iloilo now.” She turned her head and looked out the window which is something she hadn’t done in months. In that moment, we knew she felt it too. She made it. She was home.

When she landed, she was taken straight to the hospital for her checkups and her first dialysis back in the Philippines. Everything seemed to be going well, and we felt so thankful that after all this time, she was finally where she had longed to be. A day after she landed, the whole family came together to visit her. After months of being apart, it was an incredibly precious and emotional reunion. Everything was prepared for her with love — her bed, her room, her equipment — so she could feel comfortable when she finally returned to our family home on November the 4th.

On November 3rd , a priest came to bless her, just as she always wanted.

Later that night, during her second dialysis, Nanay suffered another heart attack and peacefully left us, finding rest at last.

Nanay had spent 309 long days in the hospital. Through all the pain and waiting, her one wish was simple… to come home and be with her family. She held on with quiet strength until that wish was fulfilled. When she finally returned home, surrounded by loved ones, she finally felt she could rest at last.

Thank you to everyone who donated, shared, prayed, messaged, and reached out to help our beloved Nanay finally go home to the Philippines. Your kindness and generosity gave us something truly priceless...the chance to bring her home. We will never have enough words to express how grateful we are to every single person who helped make her final wish come true. You gave our Nanay the most beautiful gift… the chance to go home, to be surrounded by family, and to find peace.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible medical team who cared for our Nanay with so much dedication, compassion, and expertise. Because of your care, she was able to make it home and be surrounded by her family, fulfilling her one final wish.

She finally made it home....

Rest in peace, our dearest Nanay. You’re with Tatay again

We love you always and forever.

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NANAY'S STORY (3/10/2025) :

Our family is reaching out with hope in our hearts and a humble request for support to help bring our 77-year-old mother, our Nanay, back home to the Philippines. Nanay means “Mom” in Filipino, and for us, she has always been the heart and soul of our family. She is a grandmother to me, but truly a mother to us all.

Nanay has been in the hospital at Lakewood Regional Medical Center in California for 278 days (over 9 months now). What began as a joyful family reunion turned into the most difficult journey of her life. She first came to Canada to visit our sister, then travelled to the U.S. to see our brother and his family, whom she hadn't seen in a very long time. It was a beautiful and emotional reunion, but just a week later, on December 29, 2023, Nanay collapsed and was rushed to the ER after losing consciousness.

Since then, she has endured unimaginable challenges:

• Multiple intubations due to acute hypoxic respiratory failure (January 2024).

• Broken heart syndrome, a serious stress-induced condition where the heart weakens and struggles to pump effectively which was brought on by the anxiety and emotional stress of longing to return home.

• Prolonged ventilator use, which led to recurrent, drug-resistant pneumonias.

• Two cardiac arrests with resuscitation, leaving her with anoxic brain injury and functional quadriplegia

• Septic shock (resolved), diastolic heart failure (EF 55%), retroperitoneal edema (stable), nephrotic syndrome requiring hemodialysis 3x per week, and ascites.

• Tracheostomy and PEG feeding tube for breathing and nutrition.

Today, Nanay remains stable and is undergoing spontaneous breathing trials. Doctors are hopeful she will be able to breathe fully on her own soon. Through it all, she continues to fight with resilience and strength.

But her greatest wish is simple: to come home to the Philippines. She longs to be surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and loved ones. The people and place that give her comfort, strength, and peace.

It has been over 8 months since we last heard her voice or saw her smile. For someone who was once so vibrant, joyful, and full of life, this silence has been heart breaking for us all. Still, we believe the best place for Nanay to heal and find strength again is at home in the Philippines, where she belongs.

Unfortunately, the costs of her prolonged hospitalization, treatments, and ongoing care have taken a heavy toll on us. This journey has placed an immense emotional, psychological, and financial burden on our family.

This is why we are humbly reaching out for help, for kindness, and for generosity from our community and beyond. Every donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward fulfilling Nanay’s wish of returning home. Your generosity will help with travel expenses such as flights, transport, and accommodation, while also covering essential medical needs like an oxygen tank, rehabilitation, medication, and ongoing care. Beyond these, your support will provide her with daily essentials, ensure safe travels, and offer a safety net for any unexpected challenges along the way. Together, we can give Nanay the comfort and peace she deserves on her journey home.

For those in the Philippines who prefer to donate directly via GCash, you can send your support to: Ma Mae Castronuevo - 09513208845

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading our story, for your prayers, and for any support you can give. Together, we can help bring Nanay back to where her heart truly belongs…home.

❤️ Home is where healing begins. Please help us give Nanay the chance to spend her days surrounded by love, family, and comfort.