MARLYN is a youthful 41-year-old mother of four children whose ages range from 8 to 18 years old.
She wears her buzzcut, the result of her chemo sessions, with panache.
Her hearty laughter and cheerful chatter belie the recent loss of her live-in partner, who used to accompany her on her hospital visits since she found a marble-sized lump in her breast but has since left her on her own.
It immediately becomes clear within minutes of meeting her that behind her light-hearted attitude and easy smile is the strong spirit of a woman of action.
Upon feeling the lump in 2019, she immediately went in to have a breast check. A biopsy was performed and after getting the result, she asked for an operation but was made to undergo treatment first to shrink the lump. The Covid lockdown further derailed her timetable but now she is back on her quest to get better and is undergoing chemo.
A decisive and purpose-driven person, she used to be a Grab Express rider, and on days that she feels well enough, she would sometimes sneak in a trip to earn extra money. Her children beg her to take it easy, but like any strong-willed single mother, she retorts that she wants to see them finish school. During our conversation, she expresses her dismay that her eldest daughter chose to halt her studies at Grade 12 to work at a Milk Tea outlet and help earn money for their household needs.
When physically unable to drive for Grab, Marlyn refuses to go idle. She goes through YouTube cooking tutorials and, applying what she learned, would sell food to her neighbors in Payatas. Her teenage son is sometimes her delivery man.
During the elections, she became actively involved in the Cancer Partylist, clear proof of her action-oriented mindset and desire to be proactive in fighting her battles, whether heart or health-related.
Her sense of humor and determination to push past whatever hurdles or heartaches may face is at the heart of her philosophy in life.
She says, “I have been cheated on and deserted, I have lost my hair, but God continues to give me life. I must have a purpose still to fulfill, then.”
Losing a life partner, changes in her physical appearance, and even a daunting disease are no match to the grit and inner strength of this woman of action – and her determination to see her children attain the education they need to equip them for a brighter future.
This much, Marlyn says, she vows to leave her kids.
The person who gave her testimonial and/or shared her image and/or likeness in these videos did so freely and voluntarily. All rights reserved 2022