Hi, I'm Vanessa. Anicia is my grandmother, and she's known by friends and family as Nanay, or "Mother". In March 2025, Nanay suffered a head trauma accident the day I was leaving the PH after a 2-week visit, resulting in an eventual brain bleed.

She had just woken from a nap and was exiting her bedroom. As she held onto the edge of her walker and reached for the knob, she lost balance and fell backwards onto tiled floor. She hit the ground hard and was in a daze. There was blood coming from a wound at the back of her head, with a large bump forming on the left side. We were able to get her into the hospital within the hour and she maintained consciousness.

From this fall, Nanay suffered a brain bleed that was not discovered until over a month later. She underwent brain surgery this past May.

This fall was caused by limited mobility in both her legs. Nanay already suffers from painfully severe arthritis in her knees (30+ years) and is usually confined to a wheelchair or a walker.

Since her surgery, Nanay has lost mobility in both legs and can no longer walk. She is undergoing physical therapy 3x a week to regain her strength and beloved independence. She's very limited in her movements and needs assistance with simple tasks such as sitting up, eating, and using the restroom.

I'm raising money to assist my parents in paying off her hospital visits, brain surgery procedure, and weekly physical therapy (the length of which will be indefinite).

My mother is disabled and retired (but looking for work to alleviate finances) and my father works swing shift as a maintenance technician. Without the help of loved ones in temporarily covering her hospital bills, we wouldn't have been able to get Nanay to receive care within the right timing.

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Some backstory on Nanay—she came to the US to raise my brother and I while my parents worked full-time jobs! She also worked to help support our family in the PH as a talented dressmaker and childcare provider.

Nanay kept a home, created clothing, and raised many babies and children in our home for almost 20 years! She's a beloved mother and grandmother to many—that's why she's simply known as "Nanay". She's our matriarch and we love her so very much.

Times are very difficult for many of us right now—any form of support goes a long way for Nanay, myself and my family.

Thank you, friends, for reading Nanay's story and for lending me your time. I appreciate you and your blessings, always. My family does too.