This is our uncle, Jesus “Jessie Boy” Apita Jr. He was named after his late father, Mamay Hesus, and probably after the Lord’s name—which may sound holy. 🤔😅
My mom has eight siblings. She’s the youngest, while Uncle Jessie is the second youngest. Uncle Jessie Boy is close to my heart because we grew up in the same house from when I was an infant until my elementary school days.
Based on my mom’s ancient stories, Uncle Jessie was considered the lucky charm of their family. His father would bring him along every time he went fishing, and whenever my grandpa had his lucky charm with him, he would catch a lot of good, big fish compared to normal days without him.
Uncle Jessie can talk, but not in a conversational way. He has his own language. For example, “adidas” means shoes or slippers, “babayas” means taking a bath, “ngangatam” means eating, and “aamen” means going to church. Such a cutie, right? My mom always tells me that if Uncle Jessie had been able to take SPED classes when he was younger, he probably would have spoken better and developed better social skills. But back in those days, only the rich and famous could afford that kind of education for people with special needs.
In his 40s, he started developing cataracts, which eventually affected his eyesight. He can still see light rays, but he’s not completely blind.
Sometime in the 2010s, my grandma—my mom’s mom—told her that if the time ever came, she wished Uncle Jessie would go first instead of her. She always worried about her forever baby boy, afraid that no one would care for him the way she did. In February 2018, she passed away. May she rest in peace. We miss you, Nanay. We love you. 🤍
I know she’s still watching over Uncle Jessie. Everyone around him, especially his brothers, Uncle Alex and Uncle Noli, never misses a moment to take care of him despite their own age and health conditions. I’m so proud to have them as family. This is what a true Filipino family looks like.
In November 2024, we visited Uncle Jessie to celebrate his 57th birthday. He’s still the same old uncle I’ve always known. He loves putting bottles on his fingers, which I think is his “special interest.” So every time I see an empty bottle, I remember him. Hehe.
In early December 2024, my uncle was rushed to the hospital because of swelling in his legs. They also noticed that he rarely went to the bathroom to pee. That’s when the doctors diagnosed him with CKD Stage 5.
The specialist recommended dialysis, as it could help extend his life and cleanse his kidneys. I researched and found out that for people diagnosed with CKD Stage 5, their kidneys only function at 15%. Doctors limit their water intake because their kidneys can’t remove excess fluid properly, which can cause swelling and shortness of breath. He was confined in the hospital for about three days. The nurses put him on oxygen and inserted an IV drip. He was uncomfortable with all the medical stuff, so he kept trying to remove everything—which was kind of funny because he even tried wrapping the oxygen tube around his arm to hide it. He also yells at the nurses who come near him, cursing them by saying “tatangnamo.” 😆😅
His siblings had a serious discussion about his medication and decided to go with palliative care. They realized that dialysis would put Uncle Jessie Boy through so much pain. The needles alone would be an agony for him—imagine having to go through that two to three times a week.
After New Year’s, on January 2, 2025, we visited Uncle Jessie and brought him groceries. I noticed that his shortness of breath was really bothering him, and something in his ear was causing him a lot of pain. We rushed him to the hospital, where the doctors discovered an infection that had led to maggots inside his ear. The ENT specialist cleaned it out, and thankfully, after the second flush, there were no more “bad spirits” inside. We went home, and he was so happy. When we asked if his ear still hurt, he said it didn’t anymore.
His ongoing medication needs to continue so he can make the most of his life. The treatment is quite expensive, so we decided to run a crowdfunding campaign for him. You can check the link here. We are so grateful to the kind-hearted people who sympathized with his story, whether by sharing it or donating any amount.
As of February 12, 2025, his face and eyes are still swollen.
As of February 13, 2025, he was rushed to the Batangas Medical because of the blood coming out from his mouth. We are holding onto hope. With the power of God’s love, we believe he can make it through.
