Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Maxene gives update on dad's condition By Jill Beltran
BEING one of the children of Master Rapper Francis Magalona and the one who has direct gateway to the media, Maxene takes all the responsibility to relate the present condition of her father.
Maxene once more debunked rumors and speculations that Francis is already weak and bald. She, on the other hand, said that her father is responding well to all treatments including chemotherapy he is undergoing.
She added that her father is about to be discharged from the hospital.
"He's responding very well to treatment. The doctors were quite surprised that he is taking the chemotherapy treatment well. He recently completed his chemo and we are just waiting for the results and when he will be discharged from the hospital to continue his recovery at home," she said.
The young actress meanwhile said that although her father had lost appetite due to chemotherapy, Francis forced himself to eat because he knows that his body needs it.
"The doctors said that engaging himself to exercise and being clean and sober for seven years is also a blessing and now helps him a lot," Maxene said.
Francis has been diagnosed with leukemia or cancer of the blood. He is undergoing medical treatments at Medical City.
"He is okay and surprisingly he is strong. He wants to recover from this ailment because he, of course, wants to be with his family and friends also. And he wants to be an inspiration to other people who also have that kind of disease so he is determined to be strong," Maxene said.
According to her, having positive mindset helps Francis and their family to overcome their present dilemma. "Now I don't cry anymore. What I do is to have a positive attitude. That's the first step of treating cancer," she said.
Maxene said her father is the kind of patient who doesn't need to be cheered up or encouraged to be a strong person as the valor to stamp out the disease comes from Francis himself.
Being the second to the eldest daughter of Francis, Maxene also has the burden of explaining the situation to her younger siblings.
"The youngest among us who understands the situation cried because he understands the gravity of the situation. But then when I prayed with him and told him to be strong he listened to me as we all need to be strong for papa," she said.
She continued: "Now the youngest, nine and six years old, they know that papa is sick but they don't understand the gravity of the situation so we don't need to tell them because they don't understand it yet."
When asked how her mother, Pia, is coping with Francis's condition, she said: "My mom is the saddest of all. But then she helps my dad of course, she's at the hospital everyday, keeping my dad company everyday. She sleeps there and she attends to whatever needs of my dad although she is sad we are not thinking about it. Its more on what can we do for papa."
"When I visit papa I try to hold back my tears because I know when I cry I will break his heart even more. So everyday as I visit him I get to control my emotions," she said.
Maxene said the situation they are facing right now is like a blessing in disguise for their family as they get to become more intact.
"You know it's a message from God and it happens in an instant. This situation brought us closer even more to each other. I mean everyday we text each other. Even with technology one can forget about their loved ones but now everyone has been contacting each other," she explained.
"We become a whole family. Me and my sister ended our little miscommunication and now both thinking what can we do for papa. All the problems are erased now and we are all focusing on papa's needs," she added.
In behalf of her father, Maxene stands as the spokesperson of the family. "I need to talk to the press. I don't want to be in denial. I'd rather want the people to know what's really happening than to hear news like he is bald and bed-ridden. I want to tell them personally what's true," she said.
"He is still active and lively. He uses his time productively. He doesn't think that he will be going to be away from work for awhile and I think he is doing good. He looks at his camera once in awhile, watching movies and listening to music; and he still edits his pictures in Camera Club of the Philippines. He's keeping himself busy," she said when asked what his father doing at the hospital aside from treatment.
"Nothing can stop him. He is doing what he wants to do. So this disease, he will do whatever it takes to win over this," she exclaimed.
Meanwhile, all the friends of Francis are all in full support for the Master Rapper.
Last Saturday, a poem written by Joey de Leon, one of Francis co-hosts and close friends in Eat Bulaga, was read live by Maxene in a television talk show.
The poem was dedicated to Francis and it reads: "Sa dalawa kong matalik na kaibigan, aking ka-Bulaga, Kapuso, at kasandalan, isa nagyo'y nagdiriwang ng kaarawan at ang isa nama'y may pinagdaraanan. Maligayang bati, Tito kong Escaler, tulad ng pangalan, magsunud-sunod sana ang mga biyaya, ang mga pagsasagana at magtagal pa nawa ang ating pagasasama. Tumpak ka, Pareng Kiko. Sa iyong tinuran sa landas ng buhay, isang lubak lamang yan. Pagkatapos ng dilim ay kinabukasan. Awit mo, may bago na namang pagkukunan."
