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Mama Mary, Queen of our Family
by Ate Carina Dacanay

My body shook uncontrollably as I leaned over to whisper to my husband, "Dale, I love you." Dale didn't respond; he couldn't. He just lay motionless on the hospital bed. Nearly ten minutes had passed since Dale drifted into unconsciousness. Fr. Remy ministered to Dale, anointing him and praying over him. The doctor stood by; there was nothing more that he could possibly do. Tears were streaming down my face as I tightly clutched my Rosary, all the while pleading with the Blessed Mother to intercede for us with Jesus, the Good Shepherd to give Dale a second chance at life. I could not imagine life without Dale. Our three children were still very young. How would we ever manage without him?

By God's grace, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, Dale survived his cardiac arrest. And although he is not yet fit enough to work, he is able to get around on his own. He did not slip into a coma, or become a "vegetable" as the doctor had initially feared.

Our hospital bill amounted to close to half a million. I raised the funds by selling our house in Canlubang and a small property in Pangasinan and borrowed money from our "Ninong", "Ninang" and relatives. After paying our bills, we were left with practically nothing. But it didn't matter. The important thing is that Dale is alive, and my children would not have to grow up without their father.

Although we were still faced with the problem of paying back those who generously helped us during our time of need, I refused to be overwhelmed by our financial problems; I simply continued to pray to Mama Mary day after day after day.

Then it happened. On the Feast of the Epiphany in 1998, as I was entering our home, I stepped on an envelope. I sat down, closed my eyes, and prayed, "Please Lord, don't let this be another bill." With heart pounding and hands trembling, I slowly opened the envelope. I read the letter. I blinked again and again to make sure that my eyes were not playing a trick on me. The letter was from Reader's Digest congratulating for having won First Prize amounting to P409,000! I could not control myself I screamed and jumped over and over and over. Since I was alone at the time, I called my sister-in-law who came over right away. Now there were two of us screaming and jumping with joy!

After taxes, I was left with P325,000, the exact amount that I needed to settle our debts.

Our problems did not end here though. Since then I have had to undergo an operation to remove my uterus and an ovary. My children have had their share of problems too, and there have been times when they rebelled. But through our emotional and financial highs and lows, one thing remains constant: our devotion to the Blessed Mother and to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. They never let us down.