CEBU CITY, Philippines — Art Tecson Jr. went up the stage of the Asian College of Technology (ACT) Bulacao campus on April 4 to receive a medal on behalf of his daughter Allyza, who graduated from Grade 12 with high honors.
Pain gripped his heart as he climbed the stage because he was unable to share the very important occasion with his daughter.
Allyza, 18, lost her battle with the dreaded dengue fever on March 15 and was laid to rest on March 24.
Art was still in Saudi Arabia, where he works as a Telecommunications Surveyor, when his daughter died. He arrived in Cebu on March 21 or three days before his daughter’s burial.
Allyza was the eldest of five siblings. Art said that Allyza, who dreams of becoming a flight attendant, was very obedient and was a role model to her younger siblings.
“During the time (when) she was being revived by the doctors, I had my family put me on video chat so I can see my daughter. I kept saying, lumaban ka anak. Please, wag mong iwan si papa. But then I saw how weak my daughter was and finally said to her, anak give up na tayo. Pahinga ka na,” said Tecson, who was sobbing during a phone interview with CDN Digital.
It was already the second time that Art lost a child to sickness. His fourth daughter, Ariza Artheena, died of sepsis two years ago. Ariza was only six-years-old then.
The Tecson family is from Tacloban, Leyte. They moved to join Art’s sister in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City after they suffered the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
Art said he thought then that Super Typhoon Yolanda was already the biggest test for his family. He never imagined losing two of his children whom he loves so much.
It was even painful this time because he was in Saudi Arabia when Allyza died.
Art said that everything happened so fast.
Fighting back his tears, Art said that Allyza had recurring fever for at least three days after she join their school’s outreach activity. When they had her check, she was diagnosed with dengue fever.
“Ang hirap. Kasi, yung hindi ako makatulog nang maayos dahil everytime makakatulog ako ang gulo ng utak ko. Hindi inabot ng one week ang anak ko, bago binawi-an nang buhay” he said. /dcb