Labrador Filipino family in shock after father dies of COVID-19 back home

Ana Liza Ochotorena didn't know her father's birthday in May would be his last.

No one did.

Her oldest son, Daniel, even paid for food to be delivered to his grandparents' place in metro Manila for his papa's 74th birthday celebration.

The last time Ana Liza saw her father, Manuel Paz, was six years ago when she travelled from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Manila City for a vacation.

She struggles to find words knowing that she can't go back home now.

"My father, he's alway on my heart and he's always on my prayer," she said in a Labrador Morning interview.

Little did they know that a few months after Manuel's birthday, they would be grieving for a man they say is the reason they're in Canada.

It all happened so quickly.

Manuel's younger daughter, Khaty Balaan, and her family, who also live in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, are still in shock.

"It's hard to believe that my father pass away because of the COVID-19. It's hard to accept, but I'm trying to accept what's going on for that," she said, noting there are thousands of cases in the Philippines.

Ana Liza says her father would go to the mall to get food for himself and their mother, Lydia, who isn't able to walk due to health issues.

Then Lydia started feeling unwell, and about two weeks later, the couple went to hospital after having difficulty breathing.

Ana Liza says her father lost his appetite and his ability to walk.

He was admitted into the ICU immediately to be intubated, while Lydia was put into an isolated room as her condition wasn't as severe.

Manuel died at hospital about a week later, on Aug. 27.

His wife is at home recovering.

Grieving far away

Daniel, 27, remembers his grandfather being active and always telling jokes.

He hadn't seen his grandfather since he left the Philippines to come to Labrador eight years ago, and he was on vacation when he got the call that his grandparents were in hospital.

"I was so shocked they got the COVID-19. I just, like, keep on praying both of them survive, they recover," he said.

He says his grandfather waved and looked strong on a video call.

A couple of days later, Daniel heard the sad news.

"I thought it was like, 'No, he's not going to pass away. He was strong the last time I seen him.' Like, I don't belive that it's happening, that he's gone," he said.

Ana Liza is grateful to doctors and nurses who let them see their father via the video call right up until his final breath.

Khaty says the manager of the Canex grocery store, where she works, was supportive.

"It's hard to work when your mind is over in the Philippines. I'm trying to work, but need to be strong for our family over here," she said, adding that they feel blessed to live in Labrador at a time when COVID-19 is hitting other provinces hard.

"COVID is real. It is not a joke. Take the precautions not to spread the virus. Love your family. Be careful," said Khaty's husband, Andreo.

The families are trying to stay positive, drawing strength from each other, but it's also difficult being so far away from home, said Ana Liza.

"We want to go to the Philippines but we're not allowed to go. It's very hard. It's a lot of sacrifice being here in an isolated place," Ana Liza said.

About $10,000 in medical expenses is another burden on the family's shoulders, and Ana Liza says they still don't have her father's ashes.

The family needs to complete a death certificate and they're waiting for the hospital to provide details so they can settle the bill from a half a world away, and it's all the more difficult because Manila is in lockdown, which means no funeral for their father either.

The family has been raising money by selling items online, holding yard sales, even borrowing money from relatives. Kitchen staff at the Manila hospital helped with donations to offset some the costs while their employers in Labrador have also contributed money, much to the family's gratitude.

Keeping spirits up

Lydia is at her home in Manila, where she's been recovering from the coronavirus in isolation.

Ana Liza calls her frequently to make sure she's OK, and buys her much-needed items like Lysol online, because other family members in Manila can't visit her due to the lockdown.

Her mother said after she came home from the hospital, people were scared of her. Ana Liza says her mother told her, "'I feel like I'm condemned by the people. I have a great sin because of having that coronavirus,'" she said. "That's why she was crying."

Still, their mother is strong and funny despite having lost her husband and is now alone.

Ana Liza says she tried to bring her parents to Labrador but her mother was ill at the time and wasn't up for making the move.

Ana Liza and Khaty now want to bring their mother to Labrador, especially now that their older sister, who lives in the Philippines, is going to the U.S. and there won't be anyone there to take care of their mother.

They say Lydia's last checkup shows that she tested negative for COVID-19, and is now clear of the virus.

A loving father

One of the hardest parts for Daniel is not being able to keep a promise he made to his grandfather. He told his papa that he wanted to go home to visit him this year, before COVID-19 made that impossible. It's all the more painful for him, because he was raised by his grandparents while his mother was working away from home.

"This is like a promise that I'm going to visit him, and spend time with him, but I couldn't do it no more. He's gone. Until now I can't believe he's gone," he said.

At one point, Ana Liza worried she wouldn't be able to get passports for her children to travel with her to Canada in time, but her father helped, reassuring her that everything would be OK.

"He's a very thoughtful father. We are grateful and thankful for him for everything. That's why we're in Canada because of him," Ana Liza said. "He is our inspiration, a loving father," she said.

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