Holding on to hope: Liane’s path forward

Before even reaching 18, Liane Jabonero had already endured so much. When Liane was just four years old, her father died of a heart attack. Everything changed for her after that. Her grandparents looked after her while her mother worked as a house helper. The years Liane spent away from her mother eventually led her to decide to stay with her grandparents for good, even when her mom came back for her.

Liane had to face yet another turning point. Her mom met a man whom she later married. Seeing another man with her mother was already overwhelming for Liane, and then she learned that her mom was expecting another child. The thought of having a sibling scared Liane, but it did not give her a reason to harbor ill feelings towards her mom. She knew her mom needed to move forward eventually, and she loved her just the same.

In September 2013, during her mom’s monthly checkup, it was discovered that she needed to be taken to the hospital due to high blood pressure. The health center staff advised her mom to be admitted to a district hospital in Southern Leyte for an emergency delivery.

Things escalated quickly.

Her stepfather told Liane that they had to go to the city hospital to induce her mom’s labor. When she returned home, she got a call from her stepfather saying that her mom had given birth. Just 10 minutes later, however, Liane received another call, and her world seemed to stop when she heard, “Wala na si mama.”

Liane rushed to the hospital and found out that her mom had been revived, but she needed an immediate blood transfusion. Liane did not have the courage to see her mom up close and settled for seeing her from a distance. “Isa ‘yun sa regrets ko, na hindi ako pumasok sa room. Hindi ko kinayang makita siya. Sabi ko matapang naman si mama, kaya niya ‘yan. Sabi ko talaga hindi pa ito ang ending,” Liane recalls.

While trying to acquire blood from the Philippine Red Cross, a call from the hospital confirmed that her mom had already succumbed to death. She later found out that the maternity clinic in their barangay had advised a Caesarean section, but the hospital insisted on induced labor.

That day, Liane’s world crumbled again, at the young age of 17.

Life goes on

One life ended, but another began. Liane lost her mother that day, but she gained a baby brother. Liane mustered all her courage to continue her life despite loss.

Liane started planning her path. She would have wanted to take Tourism in college, but her family barely scraped by, so Liane accepted that she had to choose another career. “Sabi ko baka kaya kong dumiskarte tulad ng napapanood ko sa movies, pero sobrang hirap pala. Dahil wala na si mama, sabi nila doon lang tayo sa kung anong kaya natin. Kung nandito si mama, baka nagawa ko ‘yon. Susuportahan niya ako sa pangarap ko,” Liane shares.

Liane learned to let go of her dream and instead took a diploma course in Information Communication Technology.

Fresh out of college, Liane was led to the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF). She knew she lacked the technical knowledge, so Liane could only be grateful that ZFF allowed her to gain experience as a Monitoring and Evaluation Clerk. “Ang laki ng utang na loob ko sa ZFF. Marami akong natutunan talaga.”

Liane learned a lot, and some of it, she learned the hard way. Liane promised to always give her best effort, no matter how small a task might seem. That experience instilled in her the value of owning her role and being accountable for every little action expected of her.

“Ang turo ng lola ko, kapag may nagawa kang masama o mali, dala mo ang apelyido mo at ang pamilya mo. Kaya iniiwasan kong magkamali,” Liane shares. That lesson lingered in her mind, but it did not dampen her spirits. In fact, it fueled her motivation to do more for the organization. “Kasi every task na ginagawa namin, malaking contribution sa ginagawa ng Foundation. Tumutulong tayo para mabawasan ang mga nanay at baby na namamatay sa panganganak. Tumatak yon sa akin.”

Looking back, Liane shared that the journey had not been easy. ZFF had challenged her, but she realized why she stayed. “Feeling ko kaya ako nag-stay dahil sa nangyari kay mama. Dito sa ZFF, nakakatulong ako na mabawasan ang mga nanay na namamatay at mga anak na maiiwan.”