Nurture
After Losing Her Toddler to Aneurysm, This Mama Is Sharing Important Lessons from Their Experience
It’s been a year since Diana Rose Pascual said goodbye to her 2-year-old son Josiah Zeus. Although she already accepted the fact that she’d never get to see her bunso grow up to be a fine young man, she still misses him every day. But this mama is dogged and determined to live well to honor the short but sweet life of her dearly departed son.
One evening in July last year, Zeus complained of a severe headache so Diana and her husband John Paul gave him paracetamol. Just when they thought everything was fine, the boy woke up an hour later sweating and in unbearable pain. She tried to get him to sleep but noticed that only his right arm and leg were moving. While preparing him to be rushed to the hospital, Zeus drooled and peed in his pajamas. Not a good sign, and the couple knew it was something serious.
They soon found out that their little boy had a blood clot in his right brain and that he urgently needed to be wheeled into the operating room. The doctors were straightforward with them: their son might not survive it. After the operation and a two-week stay in the ICU, the Pascuals were informed that Zeus was only holding up because of the machine and the medications.
Crushed and devastated, the couple prayed hard for wisdom and came up with a heart-wrenching decision: they were ready to let Zeus go. They asked loved ones to say their final goodbyes to him. The couple bought fries and doughnuts (their son’s favorites) and a cake to celebrate in advance what should had been the young boy’s 3rd birthday. At past 1 AM of August 13, Diana was informed that her beloved son was already at peace with the Lord.
Mama Diana's last photo of a smiling Zeus on the day he complained of a severe headache. “We were comforted by the fact that God just lent him to us, and He allowed us to love and nurture Zeus for almost three years. We surrendered our son to the Lord,” said Diana. “We already had a son and a daughter before he came. He wasn’t planned, but he was a most welcome surprise.”
The loss of their son made the Pascuals closer to the Guy Up There. “We couldn’t change what happened, but we learned from it and we’d like to share our testimony. God used us to be an instrument to do more for others through charity works at an orphanage, just like how a lot of people helped us during that most difficult time. They inspired us to help others as well.”
At the time Zeus was fighting for his life in the ICU, help came in so many forms for the Pascual family: relatives who looked after their other kids while the couple stayed in the lobby of the hospital waiting for updates from caring doctors, friends who initiated a donation drive and created a GoFundMe account to help with their expenses, nurses who helped them see Zeus through video calls, and acquaintances who volunteered to screen for blood donations.
For other moms, Diana advises to always have consistent checkups with your child’s pediatrician and to insist on a thorough check if you have doubts regarding your little one’s health. “We noticed his head looked bigger than usual and he sometimes seemed cross-eyed. The pediatrician measured his head, but said it’s just normal since he’s growing. There was no advice that something’s off.”
Although she's dealing with pain and grief from losing her bunso, this mama has two more reasons to be happy: her 11-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. The grieving mama also couldn’t stress enough how important it is to make time for your children, no matter how busy a parent may get. “As a working mom who also had to take care of three kids, it was a challenge for me to really focus on Zeus. Looking back, I think the pandemic somehow gave me that time to be hands-on in taking care of him. We were able to create beautiful memories together before he was taken from us,” she said.
“Pahinga ako. Tulog ako.” These were her son’s last words to Diana on the night that forever changed their lives. Zeus is now resting peacefully, and although the pain of losing a child never ends, this mama knows too well she has two more reasons to live a happy life: her 11-year-son Zeph and her 6-year-old daughter Zoey.
