This is my story in a nutshell, eldest daughter of Lani. Please excuse the details as the early times are from stories shared from mom and dad. But I was a bit of a "stow away". Mom arrived in the states mid year 1980, from the Philippines. I was then born in Chicago in October. So it was also my first in utero across the ocean flight as well. For a short time, I think mom worked in a Nursing home or similar before entering her long time career at St. Mary's. (if anyone knows more, please correct me.) We lived in the apartments near the St. Mary's campus for quite some time before moving to the Ravenswood area. (near Western and Montrose ave.) until 1991. Mom worked long, hard hours, as I schooled and spent some time at the sitters (& relatives). They were trying times for mom as dad was not able to join us permanently in the US until 89/90'. We had also visited the Philippines, a couple times prior and did so several times after, but with mom's (& dad's) hard work we were able to settle into a house in the near suburb of Schiller Park in 1991.

Mom continued to work at St. Mary's as she had grown accustomed. Throughout the years we took many family trips and I know I've seen the inside of many malls. As the child of Filipino parents, I was well loved and even spoiled but one of my favorite things of comfort was was mom's cooking. Our journey as a threesome family ended, but as a blessing when she was was born in 1994. 14 years later I finally had a sister. Our family was complete. (not to mention the handful of small pets along the way). In a sense this was when the story really started. Cj and I went to school, made friends and graduated from the same high school although years apart.

Around 2011/2012 or so mom discovered a tumor, of which they promptly removed as it had supposedly encapsulated the cancer cells. We thought the scare was short lived. In between that, that I had my first child at 29, her first grandchild, Vivienne Piper. I was blessed that we were living with mom and dad for the first years of Piper's life (and countless hours of free babysitting- then again, as Filipino's do we charge our family-)  before settling into our home in West Chicago in Jan of 2018. Through a series of unfortunate events, mom and dad and my little sister did have to forgo our beloved home where it was natural that they settle with us. In between, my husband Curtis and I welcomed our second daughter, Gillian and we also felt that we were complete . By this time, mom started a new work life with UIC, she was nervous as she had been with St. Mary's for so long, but luckily she also had colleagues/family in UIC and she had planned to retire from UIC, but as they say God had other plans, and mom's cancer returned. She had to take leave and eventually retire in 2012. 32 years of nursing, it was a little bittersweet but a positive milestone for mom.She still was able to enjoy her granddaughters, even as she endured chemotherapy in the short years that followed. It was in 2021, when the 3rd round had failed, that it was recommended immunotherapy as a last hope. However, it was not a match with mom and as much as we as a family did not want to option Hospice care, it became the last option in June, especially when mom was not able to eat as nutritionally as she had been in the last few years, to help ward off symptoms. We did not expect, such a quick goodbye. Such little time left. Mom stayed strong and endured through the suffering, until she could not. There are many specific memories and events that I know I did not share but in a nutshell through the family trips, moments of family turmoil(passings away of relatives) and moments of joy and triumphs(graduations, jobs, achievements by us and other family) but mom was always there for Cj and I, even when I was not at my greatest, mom (and dad) are always the ones to have my back and now with my own family, I can only pray that I can be as... strong and admirable. Cj and dad are with us in our home, in our in-law portion and will remain as dad is continuing to finish the home he and mom had started to build in their home town of Benguet, Tublay (not Abra, as stated incorrectly in the recent church programs) in the Philippines, of which mom's final resting place will be, as the plan still remains to be in December of this year. While it is still a struggle to go forth without her as we are a close family, we will make sure her memory continues to live on. Please feel free to share yours.